Low stomach acid = B12 deficiency

tanedout

Well-Known Member
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538
Only found out recently that one of the main causes of vitamin B12 deficiency is low stomach acid..

Inadequate stomach acid. A much more common cause of deficiency, especially in older people, is a lack of stomach acid, because stomach acid is required to liberate vitamin B12 from food. An estimated 10 to 30 percent of adults over the age of 50 have difficulty absorbing vitamin B12 from food.

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/b-12-deficiency/

And another thing which can cause B12 deficiency is potassium supplementation..

Potassium supplements can also reduce absorption of vitamin B12 benefits, so if you take large amounts of potassium in supplement form, you should watch out for a possible vitamin B12 deficiency.

Vitamin B12 Benefits That You’re Probably Missing

So there's probably a good chance that a lot of us on here are deficient in what is clearly a very important nutrient.
 

joekool

Moderator
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551
100% true. Some have started taking betaine hcl to increase and improve stomach acid which helps with b12. Funny thing, I just ordered b12 injectable to test something related to your post. We’ll see
 

MNK99

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5,560
What if you have really high vitamin B12. Is that insensitive B12? And or high stomach acid? I'm pretty sure I have high stomach acid, if acid reflux is any way to gauge that.
My brother had acid reflux and a surgery I think bc of that (or something similar).

Without working that much on pfs initially, and while doing an extended fast, my B12 was 1249 pmol/L on a range of (0,700)
 

joekool

Moderator
Messages
551
Hey mnk, look up betaine hcl and see what is reported. Low stomach acid is supposedly the cause for reflux and adding the betaine helps ppl. Rather than taking an antacid like nexium or something similar. Very interesting stuff
 

MNK99

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5,560
I tried the Betaine HCL, I think that and much of the electrolyte protocol hurt my digestion (not true of everyone of course).
Definitely avoided PPI's. I had people give them to me for some reason, barely used them.
I did take anti-acids to potentiate/reduce side effects of amps in the past. But, never too habitually. Mostly baking soda and tums. Now nothing, although I did take pepto a bit.
-Maybe later Betaine HCL will help along with the rest of the electrolyte protocol, but for now I think it's not for me.
 
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