Question

a) Define the two types of vitamin B12 deficiencies.

b) Identify the DRI for vitamin B12 for older adults and list three good food sources.

c) Describe how the body absorbs vitamin B12 from foods and how to identify a deficiency.

Answer 1

b) DRI is the dietary references intake

Older adults require 2.4 micrograms or mcg of vitamin B12 daily sometimes they may also be recommended to take an additional 100 to 400 mcg of vitamin B12 from dietary supplements.

good food sources for vit B12:- (1) naturally occurs in many animal-based foods such as eggs, meat, poultry and fish. (2) fortified cereals (3) soy or rice milk

c) to identify the deficiency of Vit. B12:- (1) Pale or Jaundiced skin (2)Weakness and fatigue (3)prickling sensation of pins or needles in hands and feet (4) vit. B12 deficiency can affect balance and cause changes to walk and move and more prone to falling (5)inflamed tongue and mouth ulcers (6)breathlessness and dizziness (7) disturbed vision (8) high body temperature

VitaminB12 is absorbed by two processes. The first is an intestinal mechanism using intrinsic factor through which involve 1–2 microgram absorption every few hours. The second is a diffusion process by which approximately 1% of the remainder is absorbed. The human physiology of vitamin B12 is complex. Protein-bound vitamin B12 released from the proteins by the action of digestive proteases in both the stomach and small intestine_.