I was diagnosed with PA several years ago. Atrophic gastritis and anemia so I understand I have to inject b12 due to my gut not being able to absorb it. What I wondered is is it just b12 I can’t absorb ? What about other vitamins and nutrients? I do take an oral supplement but if it can’t be absorbed what’s the point ? I take krill oil and colleges too .
does anyone know if it’s just b12 that can’t be absorbed and if so why just b12 ? Thanks all
Vitamin B12 is the most difficult vitamin to break down and absorb , because it requires not only stomach acid for the process , but also a glyprotein called “The Intrinsic Factor .” The intrinsic factor anti-bodies , which P..A patients have , destroy the Parietal cells in the upper stomach . These cells produce both The Intrinsic Factor and stomach acid . Without The intrinsic factor a P.A. patient cannot absorb vitamin B12 , and other vitamins and minerals which only require stomach acid for absorption, are more poorly absorbed .
It is good therefore to have smaller meals more often and always to chew very thoroughly .The enzymes in saliva help to break down food .
This is how I have been given to understand the process since I was diagnosed with P.A. in 2014 - hope it helps
It’s not a bad idea to have a modest vitamin + mineral tablet . It’s important to make sure that you have a good folate level ( VitaminB9) Folate works together with B12
As Wedgewood explained very well above, PA results in reduced stomach acid.
"Inadequate levels of stomach acid (regardless of the root cause) can result in many nutritional and digestive issues. For instance, a reduction in gastric acid secretion prevents adequate denaturing of folded proteins resulting in poor protein digestion and increased food allergenicity. ...
A low-acid environment is linked to reduced absorption of key micronutrients such as calcium, iron, folic acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12"
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...
In addition to reduced nutrient absorption, the inadequately strong stomach acid also leaves the stomach more vulnerable to bacterial infection. Serious infections are sometimes treated with antibiotics which can be a bit like carpet-bombing the gut microbiome, killing both good and bad bacteria - including the beneficial gut beasts that are essential to health and normally prevent "bad" bacteria, like c.diff, from taking over.
The microbiome can recover with pro/prebiotics in time, but ideally you don't want to get a severe infection like this in the first place. Others members have tips for increasing stomach acid which I advise to look into as having adequately strong stomach acid is critical to good health.
Thank you Technoid.! You have just answered a question I have wondered about for years. "increased food allergenicity".....there it is. I was diagnosed with PA in 2015 after being on PPi's for so long I can't remember . At the same time I started struggling big time with allergies. Nut and seed allergy, soy allergy was a huge problem and took a while to realise what is was because it is literally in everything ! A drop on my wrist in the clinic and I reacted very quickly. Oral allergy syndrome, allergy to chemical smells, perfume etc etc. I carry epi pens. and am ultra careful but it is a life changer. Now I know where it started. Thank you
Hi all
Very interesting post. I have been taking high doses of vitamins and minerals for the last month or so and I feel so much better. I think for me the very high doses work because my absorption rate is so low.
Great post.
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When in doubt getting blood serum vitamin levels tested might be a good investment. If your deficient in other vitamins and you have a balanced diet this will give you a good indication if there are other absorption issues going on.
Does a lack of intrinsic factor prevent iron absorption?
Absorption and all of that...
Methylcobalamin
sublingual B12 pointless?
Oral B12
