A Patient Has Just Been Diagnosed with Pernicious Anemia

Multiple Choice

A patient has just been diagnosed with pernicious anemia. The patient asks the nurse ^{why his body is not able to absorb vitamin B}12^{. The nurse responds,}

A) "You have too many ulcers in your stomach."
B) ^{"More than likely, you were born with deficient vitamin B}12 ^stores."
C) "Your stomach is not secreting a substance known as intrinsic factor, which is ^{needed to absorb vitamin B}12^."
D) "Your daily intake of high saturated fats is interfering with the stomach's ability to ^{absorb the nutrients that it needs, especially vitamin B}12^."