Can Lack of B12 Make Your Joints Hurt?

To put it simply, Vitamin B12 is a vital nutrient that helps blood and nerve cells function optimally in the human body. It also helps make DNA, forms healthy red blood cells, and keeps your central nervous system operating at a high level. It’s important to ensure your body has all the vitamins and nutrients it needs, especially when you deal with joint pain. Whether it’s through a joint health supplement or specific Vitamin B12 supplementation, preventing Vitamin B12 deficiency is imperative in dealing with joint pain.

What Are the Symptoms of Low B12?

Vitamin B12 deficiency is relatively common. Aside from getting a blood test, knowing the signs of B12 deficiency symptoms can help with detection. Associated symptoms of B12 deficiency include:

Fatigue
Pale or yellow skin
Headaches
Depressive symptoms
Gastrointestinal symptoms
Difficulty concentrating and other impaired cognitive function
Cognitive decline
Pain and inflammation of mouth and tongue
Paresthesia (burning or pins & needles sensation) in hands and feet
Muscle cramps and weakness
Impaired coordination
Erectile dysfunction
Vision issues

Let’s break some of these down.

Joint Pain and B12 Deficiency

Since Vitamin B12 is essential for healthy nerve function, dealing with a deficiency can cause severe joint pain and other joint or muscle issues. Some autoimmune conditions can actually cause Vitamin B12 deficiency. For example, in some cases, those with psoriatic arthritis—a type of inflammatory arthritis caused by psoriasis—can develop pernicious anemia (PA). Anemia, in general, is when the body cannot make enough healthy red blood cells to transport oxygen. PA, in particular, is caused by an autoimmune process that attacks cells used to absorb Vitamin B12. While PA is extremely rare—impacting only 0.1% of the general population—it is the reason for up to 50% of cases of vitamin B12 deficiency in adults. Additionally, one study showed that 81% of participants with pernicious anemia were female. If you struggle with another autoimmune condition (such as rheumatoid arthritis) or eat strictly vegan or vegetarian, you are at higher risk of developing PA. Vitamin B12 deficiency can generally weaken the bones, which can also lead to a higher risk of osteoporosis.

Neurological Symptoms of B12 Deficiency

One common neurological symptom associated with being Vitamin B12 deficient is headaches. In a study of 140 people done in 2019, half of the participants dealt with migraines and showed significantly lower B12 levels. Another neurological symptom is depression, due to the deficiency leading to higher levels of oxidative stress, DNA damage, and cell death. In a study done in 2020 of children and teens, 89 participants had depression while 43 did not, and those who did have it showed lower B12 levels and higher homocysteine (a sulfur-containing amino acid). Dealing with Vitamin B12 deficiency can also lead to difficulty concentrating and other mental impairments. Since being Vitamin B12 deficient negatively impacts the central nervous system, those struggling with a deficiency can feel foggy-headed and struggle with completing tasks. Additionally, studies have associated low B12 levels with decreased mental function in older adults. Lastly, Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause impaired balance and coordination, causing difficulty walking or balancing.

What Happens If Your B12 Is Low for Too Long?

In severe cases, if you are deficient in Vitamin B12 for too long, it can lead to heart failure, disabling neurological deficits, gastric cancer, and other autoimmune disorders. Not treating Vitamin B12 can, in fact, lead to long-term and even permanent damage.

Leaving a B12 deficiency untreated can lead to neurological issues such as sped-up brain shrinking. High levels of homocysteine are linked to conditions like dementia and Alzheimer's disease, and when B12 is low, homocysteine levels go up.

If you have pernicious anemia (PA)—which we discussed earlier—your body can’t make enough intrinsic factor, which is a substance that helps your body absorb the B12 from your diet. This, in turn, can lead to a higher risk of developing stomach cancer. B12 deficiency that is left untreated can also lead to infertility issues and even raise the chance of birth defects if you are able to get and stay pregnant.

What Does B12 Fatigue Feel Like?

When you’re dealing with a Vitamin B12 deficiency, fatigue—even extreme fatigue—is a common symptom. This is because your body needs B12 to continue normal red blood cell production and deliver the proper amount of oxygen for your brain to function properly. So, when your body is not able to produce a healthy amount of red blood cells, your brain is not getting the right amount of oxygen at the correct rate. This can make you feel extremely tired and low-functioning.

Vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to megaloblastic anemia. This type of anemia is characterized by red blood cells that are larger than normal, but there are not enough of them to maintain optimal oxygen delivery. Since the blood cells are too large in the case of megaloblastic anemia, it can be difficult for them to exit the bone marrow and enter the bloodstream.

You may be wondering how long it takes to recover from Vitamin B12 deficiency. Well, it really varies depending on the person. Improvement in your symptoms can happen between a few weeks and a few months, but it will ultimately take several months for Vitamin B12 levels to return to normal. Recovery time is also contingent on a few factors, such as the severity of your deficiency, the underlying cause of the deficiency (especially absorption issues), and your body’s response to treatment.

What Is the Fastest Way to Fix B12 Deficiency?

Typically, Vitamin B12 deficiency is treated with B12 injections, then managed with supplementation, diet, and perhaps occasional injections. How long it takes to recover from Vitamin B12 deficiency depends on your treatment options and underlying factors.

Dietary Supplements and Changes

If you eat a strictly vegan or vegetarian diet, you are at higher risk of developing a Vitamin B12 deficiency via inadequate dietary intake. A few great food sources of Vitamin B12 are:

Organ meats - animal liver and kidneys. Lamb is the highest in B12, but beef and veal still have approximately 3,000% of the recommended daily value (DV) per 3.5 ounces.
Clams - obviously, if you have a shellfish allergy, please don’t eat clams. But for those of you without an allergy, clams have an incredibly high concentration of Vitamin B12. In just 20 small clams, it contains over 7,000% DV.
Sardines - a 1-cup serving of sardines contains 554% of the DV for Vitamin B12.
Beef - this red meat provides over 400% DV! Grilling or roasting is better, as are low–fat cuts of meat.
Trout - a 3.5oz serving contains approximately 312% DV.
Salmon - a half filet contains around 208% DV.
Dairy products - yogurt, cheese, and cow’s milk contain an excellent amount of Vitamin B12, not to mention protein and other vitamins like calcium.
Eggs - 2 large eggs have about 46% DV for Vitamin B12! Research has shown that yolks are higher in B12 than whites, and the B12 in yolks tends to be easier to absorb. So eat the whole egg!

If you are looking for a Vitamin B12 supplement, you can get either a Vitamin B complex—which contains other B vitamins like folic acid (vitamin B9) in addition to B12—or just a B12 supplement. The most common form of B12 in supplements is cyanocobalamin, but this is not the preferred form. Four things are imperative when choosing a Vitamin B12 supplement:

Consult your doctor! Do not add any supplements to your wellness regimen without consulting your healthcare provider.
Make sure you read ALL the ingredients in a supplement.
Look for B12 delivered as methylcobalamin. While most B12 supplements come in the form of cyanocobalamin, which is the synthetic version of B12, methylcobalamin is the natural form that is way more beneficial and absorbable.
Research ingredient sourcing for whichever supplement company you choose. You want to make sure you’re getting only high-quality ingredients.

Conclusion

As you can see, it’s incredibly important to keep your Vitamin B12 levels up, and if you suspect they are lower than normal, have a conversation with your doctor. It’s also important to note that if you’re deficient in B12, there’s a good chance you’re deficient in other key vitamins and minerals.

One way to ensure you're getting all of the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients you need to combat vitamin deficiencies is by taking a high-quality multivitamin. Previnex Multivitamin contains the highest quality forms of each and every nutrient at levels where the clinical data shows you get health benefits (including delivering vitamin B12 as methylcobalamin).

If you find that you’re experiencing joint pain as a result of Vitamin B12 deficiency or other underlying factors, it may be valuable to add a joint health supplement to your wellness regimen. We recommend Joint Health PLUS®! The two main ingredients are NEM® and Boswellin®. Boswellin® is a powerful, natural, clinically-proven anti-inflammatory and pain reliever. NEM®—natural eggshell membrane—is clinically proven to reduce joint pain and stiffness and improve overall joint flexibility in as little as seven days. It also protects joint cartilage from breaking down and is proven to be up to 5x more beneficial than glucosamine and chondroitin. Get your bottle of Joint Health PLUS® today!