B12 deficiency from antacids too often overlooked In a large study, over 210,000 patients were evaluated for B12 status and duration of antacid use. For patients taking a proton pump inhibitor antacid, the chances of having a vitamin B12 deficiency was 66% higher than not having a B12 deficiency. For those people taking a histamine 2 receptor antagonist antacid, their chance of B12 deficiency was 24% higher than not becoming B12 deficient. This occurs because an acid environment is required to activate proteolytic enzymes that cleave B12 from food. The intrinsic factor, a protein required for B12 absorption, does not work in low acid so intuitively an antacid would potentially cause B12 deficiency, which this study confirms. Researchers concluded that antacid use was significantly associated with the presence of vitamin B12 deficiency. These findings should be considered when balancing the risks and benefits of using these medications. Journal of the American Medical Association, December 2013
Posted on: Wed, 13 Aug 2014 23:00:01 +0000
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