By Anwar Abu Khalid
THE other day I met some old friends whom I had not seen for a while. I was shocked to learn that they were depressed, anxious and restless. They saw everything in black and white terms and had lost the desire to socialize with relatives and friends. They also suffer from insomnia. When I asked them what their doctors had told them, they said the doctors did not ask them to undergo any medical checkups to see if there was a shortage of vitamins or minerals. It was only when they decided to see psychiatrists that they were asked to have their blood tested for vitamins. The results were shocking—all of my friends suffered from a severe shortage of Vitamin B12.
The body does not produce Vitamin B12, which is found in animal products. Vegetables and fruits, except for bananas, do not contain this vitamin. That is why people who are on vegetarian diets are more susceptible to suffer from a shortage of Vitamin B12. Lack of this vitamin also has a toll on a person’s mental health. It weakens the memory, expedites dementia and causes distraction, insomnia, moodiness, tension, headaches and social isolation. In its worst form, a shortage of Vitamin B12 leads to hallucination or madness because it affects the nerves and ruptures the membranes that protect them. Membranes help the brain produce dopamine and serotonin, control moodiness and send positive signals to the body. Unfortunately, many people suffer from a shortage of Vitamin B12 due to unhealthy diets. People eat fast food on a daily basis, food that is full of preservatives and hydrogenated oils and high in sugar content. There are also several medications that prevent the body from benefiting from this vitamin, which was discovered 70 years ago.
Many countries used to inject their soldiers with Vitamin B12 during war to help them control fear and deal with post-traumatic stress syndrome. The results were amazingly positive. I know some people who took intense doses of vitamin B12 for three months, which resulted in their mental condition immensely improving.
