B12 is the largest B vitamin and is a bacterium that is produced by microorganisms.  This red crystalline substance is required for blood formation, growing tissues and healthy neural cells.  A B12 deficiency is serious business.  Symptoms include excessive fatigue, a pallor, loss of appetite, mental confusion, delusions, weight loss, paranoia and respiratory problems.  On the extreme end, neurological symptoms can be so severe that they mimic Alzheimer’s disease.  Left untreated, a B12 deficiency will eventually lead to death.

There are many groups that are at higher risk of developing a B12 deficiency.  Among these are vegans, vegetarians, people over 60, individuals who have had gastrointestinal surgery and smokers.  Another group that is at risk of having low levels of B12 are heavy drinkers.

The human body typically stores anywhere from 5,000 mg to 10,000 mg of B12 in the liver and kidneys.  It is no secret that alcohol damages the liver.  Heavy alcohol consumption is enough to completely deplete the body’s stores of B12.  Additionally, it can make it such that an individual has an inability to absorb any B12 that they do take.  Very often, alcohol can damage the gastrointestinal tract so severely that the body cannot absorb any nutrients.  An individual can literally be starving due to an inability to assimilate nutrients that it is receiving.

It can be very challenging for doctors to diagnose a B12 deficiency in a heavy drinker, especially if they are not a full blown alcoholic.  If they are able to mask their drinking, chances are they will underestimate how much they are consuming when asked.  Further, alcohol can raise the serum B12 levels, meaning that an individual can test as having normal B12 when in fact their body is not getting what they need.

The solution for this is to take regular vitamin b shots.  Unlike oral B12, a b12 shot is absorbed directly into the blood stream.  This means that the compromised digestive system of a heavy drinker is not an issue.