Prevent Vitamin B12 Deficiency?
Vitamin B12, or cobalamin, is a water-soluble vitamin that is essential for the proper functioning of several body systems. It supports the brain, nervous system, and metabolism, among other things.
Here is a quick guide to better understand cobalamin: its roles, benefits, where to find it in food, symptoms of a deficiency, and what you need to know about supplementation.
Need inspiration? We also offer vegan and omnivorous recipes to stock up on B12.
What Are The Roles Of Vitamin B12?
Vitamin B12 has many roles that are scattered throughout our body. It helps to:
1- Manufacture red blood cells;
2- Protect the nervous system and neurological function;
3- Synthesize DNA;
4- Provide energy to the body;
5- Assimilate folate (vitamin B9).
6- Large group of plant-based products on wooden board with copy space, soy milk in glass bottle, soy beans, tofu cubes, soy sauce and miso sauce, human hand pouring soy sauce on tofu cubes, copy space.
What Are The Benefits Of Vitamin B12?
Adequate vitamin B12 intake provides a variety of benefits. Cobalamin may:
1- Reduce the risk of anemia through its role in the production of red blood cells;
2- Prevent major birth defects, as it is involved in DNA synthesis and the absorption of folic acid (vitamin B9), which is crucial for fetal development;
3- Help maintain healthy hair, skin, and nails – research indicates that low levels of vitamin B12 may be associated with skin conditions such as hair loss, hyperpigmentation, and even vitiligo;
4- Improve mood, cognitive function, and energy levels in deficient individuals;
5- Protect the heart by lowering blood levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that increases the risk of vascular disease;
6- Protect vision by lowering the risk of macular degeneration, a disorder linked to high levels of homocysteine.
What Are The Best Sources Of Vitamin B12?
Cobalamin is naturally present in foods of animal origin:
1- Offal (liver and kidneys of lamb, veal or beef)
2- Meat (beef, pork, chicken, turkey, etc.)
3- Fish and seafood (clams, oysters, mussels, salmon, mackerel, tuna, sardines, trout)
4- Dairy products (Swiss cheese, feta cheese, milk, yogurt, buttermilk)
5- Eggs
6- For those who follow a vegan diet, no worries: many vegan products have added vitamin B12! It can be found in the following products, when they are enriched:
A- Nutritional yeast
B- Plant-based milks and yogurts (soy, oat, almond, etc.)
C- Breakfast cereals
D- Tofu and tempeh
E- Imitation meat
What Are The Daily Requirements For this Vitamin?
Health Experts indicate that adequate daily intakes of vitamin B12 are as follows:
Children 1-3 years: 0.9 ÎĽg/day
Children 4-8 years: 1.2 ÎĽg/day
Preteens 9-13 years: 1.8 ÎĽg/day
Adults and adolescents (14 years and older): 2.4 ÎĽg/day
Pregnancy: 2.6 ÎĽg/day
Lactation: 2.8 ÎĽg/day
Cobalamin may reduce the risk of anemia.
To better understand what these intakes mean, here is a comparison of 10 foods rich in vitamin B12. Please note that the cobalamin content of enriched plants varies from one brand to another. The numbers specified in this table represent an approximation according to the amount of cobalamin generally added to these products.
Food Serving Size Vitamin B12 Content Percent DV
Cooked Clams 85 g (3 oz)
84.1 µg 3,504%
Braised Beef Liver 85 g (3 oz)
70.6 µg 2,943%
Enriched Nutritional Yeast 9 g (1 tbsp) 33.8 µg 1,407%
Cooked Tuna Fillet 85 g (3 oz)
9.2 µg 383%
Cooked Flank Steak 85 g (3 oz) 6.4 µg 267%
Enriched Soy Milk 250 mL (1 cup) 2.7 µg 113%
Enriched Extra Firm Tofu 85 g (3 oz)
1.2 µg 50%
Cottage Cheese 2% 226 g (1 cup) 1.1 µg 44%
Hard-boiled egg 1 large egg (50 g) 0.56 µg 23%
Grilled chicken thigh (skinless) 85 g (3 oz)
0.35 µg 15%
A little reminder for vegan dishes: the products used must be fortified with B12. So read the food packaging carefully (plant milks, tofu, nutritional yeast, etc.), because not all brands fortify their products.
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