This comprehensive booklet covers everything you need to know about B12 and ME/CFS, including what food groups are a good source of this vitamin, the benefits of B12, information regarding deficiency and possible treatments.
Introduction
The ME Association receives regular queries and feedback relating to the use of vitamin B12 supplements in ME/CFS.
Vitamin B12 used to be prescribed by doctors as a ‘tonic’ for people with a wide variety of complaints, especially those involving fatigue. However, it is no longer used in this way due to the lack of any sound evidence that ‘tonics’ actually work.
So what is vitamin B12? Is there any evidence of vitamin B12 deficiency in ME/CFS? And could vitamin B12 be a safe and effective form of treatment for ME/CFS?
Key points
- Vitamin B12 deficiency is linked to a potentially serious type of anaemia called pernicious anaemia – where there are abnormally large red blood cells.
- Vitamin B12 deficiency causes fatigue and other ME/CFS-like symptoms – so it should be excluded before a diagnosis of ME/CFS is made, especially in people where there is no clear infective onset.
- There is no evidence that vitamin B12 deficiency occurs as part of the underlying disease process in ME/CFS.
- People with ME/CFS may be at risk of vitamin B12 deficiency if they have a diet that is low in vitamin B12-containing foods – especially meat, dairy and fish.
- There is no evidence that vitamin B12 supplements are of any value in treating ME/CFS.
- There are dangers in taking vitamin B12 supplements if you have an undiagnosed deficiency of vitamin B12 caused by pernicious anaemia –as this prevents vitamin B12 being absorbed and so requires treatment by injection.
