Association Between Digestive Power and Serum Vitamin B12 Levels in Young Adult Females: An Analytical Cross-Sectional Study.

Digestive power (Agni) is a fundamental Ayurvedic concept that governs digestion and metabolism. Vitamin B12 is an essential micronutrient required for red blood cell formation, neurological function, and DNA synthesis. However, scientific evidence evaluating the relationship between digestive power and vitamin B12 levels remains limited. This study aimed to determine the association between digestive power and serum vitamin B12 levels among females aged 19-28 years using a laboratory immunoassay method.  Materials and methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was carried out among 94 young adult females, including 47 vitamin B12-deficient and 47 vitamin B12-nondeficient females aged 19-28 years, selected through convenience sampling. Serum vitamin B12 was estimated using a standard laboratory immunoassay method, and participants were classified into four categories based on digestive strength (Agnibala) using a validated assessment tool. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's chi-square test, independent Student's t-test, and multiple linear regression. A p-value ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant.  Results: Serum vitamin B12 levels differed significantly between the deficient and nondeficient groups (p < 0.001). Balanced digestive power (Samagni) was predominantly observed among vitamin B12-nondeficient participants. In contrast, irregular digestive power (Vishamagni), elevated digestive power (Tikshnagni), and subdued digestive power (Mandagni) were more common among vitamin B12-deficient participants. The distribution of digestive power was significantly associated with vitamin B12 status, as demonstrated by Pearson's Chi-square test (χ² = 23.16, df = 3, p < 0.001).  Conclusion: Digestive power showed a significant association with serum vitamin B12 levels. Balanced digestive power was predominantly observed in individuals with normal vitamin B12 levels, whereas disturbed digestive power was relatively higher in deficient participants. These findings suggest that digestive metabolic efficiency may be associated with micronutrient assimilation and warrant further prospective studies.