Lifestyle

6 Signs of Low Vitamin B12 Most People Blame on Getting Older

By Curtis Jones · October 25, 2026

Feeling worn out, forgetting where you put your keys, or noticing a little tingling in your feet can seem like ordinary parts of getting older. Sometimes they trace back to a vitamin the body needs every day and has more trouble absorbing with age: vitamin B12.

The National Institutes of Health’s Office of Dietary Supplements says vitamin B12 helps keep the body’s blood and nerve cells healthy and helps make DNA. The NIH says deficiency affects between 3% and 43% of older adults, and because the body stores so much B12, symptoms can take several years to appear.

Age plays a direct role. Absorbing B12 from food takes stomach acid, and the NIH says many older adults don’t have enough of it to absorb the B12 naturally present in food. For that reason, it says people over 50 should get most of their B12 from fortified foods or supplements. Cleveland Clinic says people over 75 are more at risk because their bodies often can’t fully absorb the vitamin, and that symptoms can develop slowly and get worse over time.

These are the signs listed by the NIH and Cleveland Clinic.

Fatigue and weakness. Feeling tired or weak is a symptom of megaloblastic anemia, which the NIH calls a hallmark of B12 deficiency. Cleveland Clinic lists feeling very tired or weak first among the physical symptoms.

Numbness or tingling in the hands and feet. The NIH describes this as a sign of nerve problems. Cleveland Clinic lists it among the neurological symptoms.

Trouble with balance or walking. The NIH lists problems with balance. Cleveland Clinic includes having a difficult time walking or speaking the way you usually do.

Memory problems and confusion. Both sources list poor memory and confusion. Cleveland Clinic describes it as having a hard time remembering things or getting confused easily, and the NIH also lists depression among the symptoms.

A sore mouth or tongue. The NIH lists soreness of the mouth or tongue. Cleveland Clinic mentions a sore mouth or tongue ulcers.

Pale skin. Both sources include pale skin. The NIH adds heart palpitations, loss of appetite and weight loss to the list of possible symptoms.

Several common conditions and medicines raise the risk. People with pernicious anemia, an autoimmune disease, can’t make intrinsic factor, a stomach protein needed to absorb B12, according to the NIH. Weight loss surgery, surgery to remove part of the stomach, and digestive disorders such as celiac or Crohn’s disease can also interfere. The NIH says acid reducers such as omeprazole and lansoprazole can lead to deficiency by slowing the release of stomach acid, and that metformin, a common diabetes drug, might lower B12 levels. Cleveland Clinic also lists chronic alcohol use and a vegetarian or vegan diet without supplements.

The deficiency can be found and treated. The NIH says a doctor can test your B12 level, and that the deficiency can damage the nervous system even in people who don’t have anemia, so it’s important to treat it as soon as possible. Cleveland Clinic says left untreated it can cause lasting effects on the nerves and brain. Treatment options include B12 pills, injections, a nasal spray or gel, and eating more B12-rich foods such as meat, fish, eggs and dairy. Depending on the cause, some people need treatment only until levels return to normal, while others need it for life.

This article is for general information and is not medical advice. Talk with your doctor about any symptoms and before starting supplements or changing your medicines. This article was produced with the assistance of AI and fact-checked against the sources cited by LightWave Reports.