Mouth pain
Vitamin B12 also affects your oral health. So a vitamin B12 deficiency in older adults might cause some mouth issues, including the following:
- Mouth ulcers
- Glossitis, which provokes a smooth, swollen, red tongue
- A burning sensation in your mouth
These symptoms appear because vitamin B12 deficiency causes a drop in red blood cell production, resulting in less oxygen reaching the mouth.
Irritability
Vitamin B12 deficiency in older adults can affect an individual’s mood, potentially causing depression or irritability. More research is needed on the subject of the link between vitamin B12 and mental health.
But one theory is that this vitamin helps break down a brain chemical named homocysteine. Having too much homocysteine in the brain can cause mental health issues to appear.
