Forgetting? Or being made to forget?

Last week, a female news anchor presenting one of the main news bulletins on Halk TV was covering the political news of the day when she reported that Devlet Bahçeli had announced, "The 'Öcalan Call'! Let him come and speak in Parliament. Let him attend the DEM Party Group Meeting and announce from the podium that weapons have been laid down, and in that case, we will accept the path being opened for an evaluation of the 'right to hope'..." He said, "Let him declare that we have put an end to terrorism," and the political world was turned upside down. 

What is truly interesting is that former Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu had forgotten how he had previously railed against Öcalan from the parliamentary podium, shouting and tearing him to shreds. As if Soylu had not been the one making those speeches back then, he today performed a 180-degree turn—pardon, a pivot—and declared that he gave his full support to Bahçeli's statements. How quickly can a human being forget what they have said, or turn around? One is left wanting to say, "I give up on such flip-flopping." The anchor asked from the screen, "What did you say yesterday, and what are you talking about today? Are you aware?" 

She placed two images side-by-side on the screen to remind viewers of the forgotten rhetoric. While presenting the news in question, she expressed that we are forgetful both as individuals and as a society. Repeating the news, she said, "We forget quickly," and continued to present her report by repeatedly reminding the audience—starting with the politicians in question—that society needs to take Vitamin B. Naturally, I believe that beyond the irony, what the anchor said is also important in terms of health, specifically public health. Can we call this a sick society? Let us put that part in parentheses and come to the subject that is important for our health. While the anchor suggested taking Vitamin B here to get rid of forgetfulness and dementia, I think she meant a Vitamin B12 supplement. Indeed, Vitamin B12 is a very necessary vitamin for our nervous systems, especially for the healthy functioning of our brain and memory. Although blood values show some variations depending on the laboratory, they should not be allowed to drop below 300 - 400 mcg/ml.

Even though reference values are written as between 200 and 800 mcg in documents showing laboratory results, it is necessary to keep them between 400-800 mcg/ml. If it falls below normal values, it can lead to various nerve diseases such as sciatica and neuralgia, primarily forgetfulness and anemia. In cases of chronic B12 deficiency, the picture can lead to dementia and even Alzheimer's disease. You should be careful and not neglect your routine health check-ups, especially for Vitamin B12 and D, as well as magnesium. B12 is found most abundantly in meat and dairy products. Therefore, B12 deficiency is seen more frequently in those with nutritional disorders, those who are malnourished, those on a vegetarian diet, the elderly, and those with digestive system ailments. As the anchor said, our B12 vitamin deficiency as a society is both widespread and statistically high. 

In some of the research conducted, B12 vitamin values in the blood are below normal in nearly half of the population (40%). A female pharmacist even exaggerates quite a bit in an informational video she published on YouTube, saying that our society's B12 vitamin deficiency is around 90%. It's not that bad! To eliminate B12 vitamin deficiency, we must first pay attention to our nutrition and have regular health check-ups. There are two types of Vitamin B12: synthetic and natural. When there is a deficiency or it is low, we should take Vitamin B12 supplements with preparations. In addition to oral, sublingual tablet, and spray forms, there are also injection forms. I have 1 ampoule administered IM once a month. 

As a physician, I recommend that you also consult your doctor to resolve the deficiency. We see and experience that a different agenda is created every day in the political world to hide and make people forget the economic collapse that cannot be brought under control. While keeping one ear on politics and politicians, and while continuing our responsibility for the country entrusted to us by Atatürk, we must not neglect our health. By the way, allow me to share some good news. Yesterday, after months—nearly 6 months—it rained in Göcek and its surroundings, and in the Aegean. There is no life without water, and no health without vitamins. Health above all else.

Prof. Dr. Nurettin DEMİR