In a rural hospital in Mahad, approximately 150 km from Mumbai, Dr. Himmatrao Bawaskar is pioneering a new approach to tackle a prevalent health issue in India—vitamin B12 deficiency. Known globally for his research on scorpion venom antidotes, Dr. Bawaskar has introduced a method where patients with B12 deficiency are advised to sprinkle a B12 supplement over their food, much like table salt.
According to the results published in the Journal of the Association of Physicians of India (JAPI), the outcomes are promising. For instance, a 31-year-old woman with a serum B12 level of 63 pg/mL saw an increase to 787 after supplementation. Similarly, a 50-year-old man improved from a B12 level of 50 to 117 within a few months.
As reported by timesofindia.indiatimes.com, Vitamin B12, or cobalamin, is crucial for maintaining healthy red blood cells, nerve function, memory, nails, and hair. Its deficiency, which affects nearly half of the Indian population, can lead to anemia, muscle pain, vision issues, numbness, and depression.