Why even non-vegetarians can be low on vitamin B12
Published on: Feb. 21, 2026, 2:13 p.m. | Source: Times of India
A routine blood test. A casual follow-up. Then comes the surprise. “Doctor, my B12 is low? But I eat chicken and eggs regularly.” This is a line many physicians now hear more than expected. Vitamin B12 deficiency was once seen mainly in strict vegetarians. Today, even regular meat-eaters are walking out of clinics puzzled by low levels.The shift is real. And it reveals something important: nutrition is not only about what goes on the plate. It is also about what the body can absorb, store, and use.As Dr H Guru Prasad, Clinical Director and HOD, Department of General Medicine/Internal Medicine, CARE Hospitals, Banjara hills, Hyderabad, shared in a conversation with TOI Health, “Over the past few years, I’ve seen a steady rise in B12 deficiency among people who eat meat without restriction. That usually leaves them confused, and sometimes frustrated.”Here is why this is happening, and why it matters.
