04 74 03 98 80
Screening vitamin B12 levels in all people with type 2 diabetes treated with metformin could prevent nerve damage.
We obviously do not intend to deal with strictly medical subjects here, however it seemed relevant to us to provide specific information concerning the treatments of type 2 diabetes with metformin and their consequences on the availability of vitamin B12 in the body.
In France, more than 5% of the population (around 4 million people) are affected by diabetes.
Worldwide, this concerns nearly 500 million individuals. This pathology is constantly progressing under the effect of 3 factors:
- A poor diet
- Sedentary lifestyle, lack of physical exercise
- Aging, which is obviously the only one of the 3 aggravating factors on which it is not possible to act.
A better reasoned, better balanced diet, reducing excess animal proteins, calories and additives in favor of more plants and products cooked at home is, as always, the first step in any improvement in lifestyle. .
However, diabetes obviously also has a structural origin for which the appropriate response is daily drug treatment.
In France 3.7 million people (source: diabetic federations) are treated for type 2 diabetes.
Some of the latter are treated with a program to improve their dietary and physical hygiene but also with medications, primarily metformin.
This molecule from the biguanide family has an anti-hyperglycemic action and does not induce hypoglycemia: it is easy to understand the benefit of metformin for regulating blood sugar levels.
Metformin and vitamin B12
“ regularly taking metformin can induce vitamin B12 deficiency ”
Although interesting in the regulation of blood sugar, recognized scientific studies (Dr Kaenat Mulla et al, Dr Zbadi et al etc.) show that regular taking of metformin can induce vitamin B12 deficiencies likely to cause, in cases the most serious, irreversible nerve damage.
The resulting recommendation is to have vitamin B12 levels regularly monitored in all patients treated with metformin , even if this rule is rarely observed to date.
The first measure is obviously to talk to the attending physician, but the other simple way to proceed, since we know that there is no risk of overdosing on vitamin B12, whatever the quantity consumed, is to take systematic vitamin B12 supplementation.
Argalys Essentiels high-dose vitamin B12 (1mg/capsule) ensures that needs are covered without any risk with 1 to 2 capsules per week: it is an easy, unrestrictive and high-quality precaution for all people treated with metformin .
The Argalys team
