Would It Be Possible For Someone To Live With The Intrinsic Factor Missing From Their Body?

Yes, it is possible but they suffer from a disease called pernicious anaemia.

Intrinsic factor is a glycoprotein produced by the parietal cells of the stomach and is necessary for the absorption of vitamin B12 from the intestines.

Pernicious anaemia usually results from an autoimmune response in the body in which antibodies are produced that react directly with intrinsic factor, or that are directed against the parietal cells in the stomach.

Without intrinsic factor, vitamin B12 cannot be extracted from the food and absorbed in the small intestine, so the body becomes vitamine B12 deficient. Treatment is possible using high oral doses of vitamin B12, ensuring that an adequate amount is absorbed from the gut, or by vitamin B12 injections directly into the blood.

The condition is inconvenient, but is not generally life threatening, so yes, it is possible for someone to live without intrinsic factor.

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