B-12 Deficency with Mold patients

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This was sent to me so I thought I would throw it out and am

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Mold Toxin Reduction of Vitamin B12 and Neurological Function

Researchers report that they are finding that chronic indoor mold

toxin

patients commonly have vitamin B12 deficiencies. This is important for

many

reasons. First, people are rarely exposed to a single mycotoxin, and

do

not

need this extra insult on top of other mycotoxin damage. Second,

vitamin B12

is not a trivial nutrient and slowly developing deficiencies could be

serious.

One of my concerns is that mold exposed pateints can start to take

poor

care

of themselves or act in unhealthy ways which will add to the effects

that

are proposed by these researchers and lower B12 by two means resulting

in

neurological injury.

As a background, vitamin B12 deficiency is also known as pernicious

anemia

and low vitamin B12 or cobalamin is a factor in many disorders. The

absorption of dietary vitamin B12 occurs in the small intestine and

requires

a secretion from the stomach known as intrinsic factor. If intrinsic

factor

is deficient, absorption of vitamin B12 is severely diminished.

Vitamin

B12

deficiency impairs the body's ability to make blood, accelerates blood

cell

destruction, and damages the nervous system. Pernicious anemia may be

an

autoimmune disease. The immune system destroys cells in the stomach

that

secrete intrinsic factor. Many people with PA have both chronic

inflammation

of the stomach lining, called atrophic gastritis, and antibodies that

fight

their intrinsic factor-secreting cells.

The term " pernicious anemia " is occasionally used to refer to any

anemia

caused by vitamin B12 deficiency. Vitamin B12 deficiency can be due to

poor

absorption of dietary B12 despite normal levels of intrinsic factor.

For

example, celiac disease and Crohn's disease may cause B12

malabsorption,

which can lead to anemia. Other causes of B12 deficiency include

gastrointestinal surgery, pancreatic disease, intestinal parasites,

and

certain drugs. Pregnancy, hyperthyroidism, and advanced stages of

cancer may

increase the body's requirement for B12, sometimes leading to a

deficiency

state. Low stomach acid, known as hypochlorhydria, interferes with the

absorption of B12 from food but not from supplements. Aging is

associated

with a decrease in the normal secretion of stomach acid. As a result,

some

older people with normal levels of intrinsic factor and with no clear

cause

for malabsorption will become vitamin B12-deficient unless they take

at

least a few micrograms per day of vitamin B1

2 from supplements. In my opinion, individuals with routine use of

stomach

acid blockers should have supplemented B12.

B12 and Fatigue

Individuals from mold induced B12 deficiency or deficiency from other

factors, have specific symptoms. Fatigue is often the first symptom of

pernicious anemia, but hundreds of serious medical problems have

fatigue as

a symptom, so merely grabbing a bottle of B12 could delay true

treatment for

a serious problem. One common way to diagnoses this is by blood tests.

Symptoms of Severe Vitamin B12 Deficiency

* fatigue

* burning of the tongue

* weakness

* lost appetite

* intermittent constipation and diarrhea

* gut pain

* weight loss

* menstrual symptoms

* emotional and psychological symptoms

* numbness or tingling in hands and feet

Most of these symptoms can occur before the deficiency is severe

enough

to

cause full anemia.

Treatment

Over the counter supplementation with vitamin B12 may benefit some

individuals with mild deficiency.

Prescription drug treatment for some individuals includes lifelong

intramuscular vitamin B12 injections. Other drug options also exist.

Diet

Vitamin B12 is found in significant amounts only in animal protein

foods --

meat and poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy products. Even small amounts

of

these foods supply sufficient amounts of vitamin B12 to provide enough

for

healthy people.

Except for vegans -- those who abstain from eggs, dairy, and other

animal

products -- virtually no one in North America has a diet fully

deficient in

vitamin B12. Those who avoid animal protein foods can easily take

vitamin

B12 supplements instead. Strict vegans commonly develop a dietary

deficiency

of vitamin B12. People who lack intrinsic factor or have a

malabsorption

condition need to depend on high amounts of vitamin B12 from

supplements and

not the lower amounts found in food. Similarly, older people with a

vitamin

B12 deficiency due to a lack of stomach acid, but not a lack of

intrinsic

factor, cannot depend on food-based vitamin B12.

Tempeh, a fermented soybean product, provides some vitamin B12.

However, the

B12 content of tempeh is variable and insufficient to meet dietary B12

requirements. Small but inconsistent amounts of B12 also occur in

seaweed

and spirulina. Because of this variability, most doctors do not

recommend

vegetable sources of vitamin B12 to replenish deficient stores.

Drinking Alcohol

Routine alcohol use can lead to gastritis and damage the lining of the

intestines, both of which can interfere with vitamin B12 absorption.

If

B12

deficiency is due to alcoholism, abstinence may prevent further

impairment

of B12 absorption.

Nutritional Supplements

Commonly 3 to 4 mcg/day of vitamin B12 prevents deficiency. If

gastrointestinal function is normal, even these small amounts of

vitamin B12

from oral supplementation can prevent deficiency in vegans. If a

deficiency

already exists, most doctors will recommend an initial vitamin B12

injection, then oral amounts ranging from 500 mcg to 1,000 mcg per day

until

symptoms subside; this is followed by a maintenance level of

approximately

10 mcg per day to prevent future deficiencies.

In a person with true pernicious anemia, generally one should start

with an

injection. After blood tests become normal, oral vitamin at 1,000 to

2,000

mcg (1 to 2 mg) per day usually works. Yet, if a person lacks

intrinsic

factor, only about 1% of this oral amount (10Ð20 mcg) will be

absorbed, but

that amount is more than sufficient to prevent future vitamin B12

deficiency. Many physicians are unaware of this well-researched option

and

thus unnecessarily recommend lifelong B12 injections.

B12 and Mycotoxins

Vitamin B12 is a source of coenzymes that allow enzymes and basic

bodily

reactions to occur. B12 is involved in many aspects of crucial

methionine

and in the prevention of chromosome breakage. The researchers are

explicit

to say that patients with chronic exposures to toxigenic molds

commonly

manifest vitamin B12 deficiencies. Since B12 is so highly involved in

neuron

functioning, it is likely that the interruption of the structure and

function of vitamin B12, would in turn interfere with the one-carbon

metabolism leading to the neurological manifestations.

B12 should be fully tested for in any possible indoor mycotoxin

victim.

Sources:

Anyanwu EC, Morad M, AW. Metabolism of mycotoxins,

intracellular

functions of vitamin B12, and neurological manifestations in patients

with

chronic toxigenic mold exposures. A review. ScientificWorldJournal.

2004:4:736-45.