Case Study: Vitamin B12 and Intelligence
The following case study demonstrates the possible impact and wide ranging effects that a vitamin deficiency can have - in this case on an adolescent girl. These types of deficiencies are often undetected - but can be readily prevented and treated with appropriate essential vitamin and mineral supplements.
Alison aged 14 years had been a straight 'A' student up to the eighth grade. At this point she suddenly had a significant decline in her school performance.
Other changes included:
she became non-communicative,
isolated from her parents, and
did not participate in school activities.
It was initially felt that she might have a behavioural disorder. Her parents questioned her friends and school associates and found that there was no obvious indication that she was suffering from a psychological problem.
When she was tested at the medical facility it was found that her IQ was '60', inspite of the fact that she had been a straight 'A' student she was, at time of testing, functioning such that she could barely read, write or speak.
A medical evaluation found that she had developed a significant abnormality in the metabolism of the amino acid methionine and was building the amino acid homocysteine in her blood. The level of homocysteine in the blood represented a need for an increase in the intake of vitamin B6, B12 or folic acid. After some investigation it was concluded that Alison needed vitamin B12.
Alison's diet had been adequate for vitamin B12 based on RDA levels and indeed her blood levels for vitamin B12 were within the normal range. However, when she was given vitamin B12 to take her blood levels to a high range her psychological and intellectual performance improved remarkably. After taking the supplements for several weeks her intellectual performance improved back to her original straight 'A' level and she showed no neurological problems resulting form a vitamin B12 deficiency.
Why did she suffer from the vitamin B12 deficiency and why did this come on her in her adolescent years?
It appears that Alison was one of those people who has a unique metabolic nutrient requirement (in this case for vitamin B12) far in excess of what the average individual requires. This is associated with her own unique genetics. Why Alison developed the symptoms in her teenage years rather than infancy or childhood is as yet unknown. However it may relate to the metabolic and nutrient changes that were taking place for Alison during the onset of menarche or her menses (her periods).
This case points out that there are wide ranges of nutritional needs from individual to individual for optimal health. For most of us the standard RDAs will be sufficient to prevent nutritional deficiency symptoms. There may be times however, when we are under altering environmental or physiological conditions that we require higher levels to meet our optimal needs. Our specific genetics may require slightly higher levels for improved health and optimal defence against disease.
References
Bland, J. 1996, Contemporary Nutrition. J & B Associates.
25.09.2007. 21:17
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