A smart nutrition system for vitamin B ₁₂ deficiency management from sensing to precision intervention

Vitamin B12 is essential for neural function, red blood cell formation, and DNA synthesis, yet its deficiency persists as a global health burden driving megaloblastic anemia, neuropathy, and cognitive decline. Effective prevention is constrained by the vitamin’s susceptibility to degradation during processing, storage, and cooking, its intricate absorption physiology, and the failure of conventional diagnostic and supplementation strategies to address the diverse underlying causes of deficiency. This review introduces a closed-loop smart nutrition system that integrates monitoring, intelligent diagnosis, and precision supplementation to overcome these challenges, shifting B12 management from a generalized one size fits all model toward dynamic, personalized health interventions. We critically survey emerging sensors and wearable devices capable of frequent B12 status assessment, discuss the application of artificial intelligence for deficiency diagnosis and tailored dietary guidance, and examine advanced delivery platforms including three dimensional printed formulations and sensor integrated systems that enable feedback controlled supplementation. By synthesizing these technological pillars, this review provides a roadmap for replacing static, reactive B12 management with a real time, feedback controlled precision nutrition strategy. The proposed framework aims to close the loop between detection and intervention, offering a transformative pathway for addressing B12 deficiency at both individual and population levels.