Vitamin B12 Foods

This vitamin is said to contain cobalt in it and hence has also been referred to as cobalamin. This vitamin B12 plays a major role in making sure that your entire central nervous system would be healthy. Being connected to the nervous system this vitamin is also very important for the proper development and functioning of your brain.  This vitamin helps to form the red blood cells and helps in the synthesis of DNA. 

It enables production of the DNA during the time that the cells are dividing in the body.  The division of cells during production of the DNA is what enables the bone marrow tissues to produce the red blood cells in your body. Therefore if there is a deficiency in the intake of Vitamin B12 it can lead to an abnormal formation of the DNA and eventually impairing the production of the cells. Deficiencies in the Vitamin B12 can in the long run cause mania, chronic depression degeneration of the nerves and can even cause grave neurological complications. 

But slight deficiency can also cause minor symptoms like fatigue, restlessness and anaemia.

Vitamin B12 is usually made in synthetic form and can be taken as extra supplements.  At times an extra intake of vitamins can be harmful for the body but an excess of Vitamin B12 cannot cause harm to your body as this vitamin is easily absorbed by the liver and is stored by it for further use or might even be excreted out of your system. One of the most easily available vitamin B12 foods is in animal products like milk and eggs andmeat.  Foods rich in vitamin B12 are animal liver like that of lamb, beef duck, chicken, goose turkey etc since it contains a huge amount of vitamin B12 in it.  Fish eggs are also considered to be a good source of vitamin B12 foods. Shellfish like oysters and clams are said to provide some of the largest amounts of vitamin B12 in one serving. These are best vitamin B12 foods in the form of soups, baked or steamed. Vitamin B12 foods containing sea food is said to be a great source of it. Crabs, lobsters and octopus are said to be good sources of vitamin B12. Fish like sardines, cod and trout are not only foods rich in vitamin B12 but also in omega 3 which is good for the heart. Meats like lamb and beef are also rich in vitamin B12 and must be a regular part of your diet to avoid deficiency. 

Vitamin B12 foods for vegetarians usually comprise of sea vegetables like spirulina dulse, kelp, kombu, and nori. Apart from this you can also eat multi grain cereals and nutritional yeast and soy products. Soy milk is considered to be rich in vitamin B12. The easiest way to draw up a vitamin B12 foods list will be to consult your doctor or dietician who will help you to plan your meals in such a way that you will be able to include the necessary amount of vitamin B12 foods in your regular diet.

Posted in: Vitamins and Minerals