Vitamin B12 Deficiency in Vegetarians: India's Quiet Epidemic

Plants carry no reliable B12; lifelong vegetarians and vegans are the highest-risk group in India.

Serum B12 alone can mislead — ask for MMA or holotranscobalamin if symptoms persist despite a normal number.

Tingling hands, brain fog and a sore tongue can show up before anaemia does.

A cheap 1,000 mcg oral tablet a few times a week fixes most diet-driven deficiency.

Metformin and long-term acid-reducer (PPI) use quietly drain B12 — get tested yearly.