Vitamin B12 is essential for the body. To avoid any deficiency, it should be refueled. But where is this vitamin found? Find out which foods contain the most.
It’s no secret that vitamins are essential for good health. Among the different vitamins, we find those of the B group, which form all 8 B vitamins. Their synergy is essential for optimizing cognitive functions, stimulating the secretion of neurotransmitters, and improving emotional balance. These are vitamins B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine), B8 (biotin), B9 (folic acid or folate) and B12 (cobalamin).
This last substance necessary for our organism is water-soluble, which means that it dissolves in water. Vitamin B12 is the most complex and essential vitamin in group B. This organic molecule is mainly stored in the liver. “The human liver comprises approximately 50% of the stock. This constitutes a reserve used by the organism for 3 to 5 years”, indicates on its site the Lescuyer laboratory. However, it can also be found in the heart, pancreas, and brain.
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What are the benefits of vitamin B12?
Vitamin B12 is essential for our health because it contributes to many functions of the body. It promotes cell growth, the production of red blood cells ( hemoglobin ) and platelets. This substance also ensures the nervous system’s proper functioning and is involved in the synthesis of neurotransmitters by neurons. This organic molecule also helps reduce fatigue and protects against cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. It is also necessary for the metabolism of lipids and carbohydrates.
Also Read: The 19 Foods Richest In Vitamin E
Vitamin B12: which foods contain the most?
Vitamin B12 is found in foods of animal origin. According to the MSD Manual and the Lescuyer laboratory, good sources of vitamins B12 are:
- Red meats
- White meats
- Offal
- Eggs
- The salmon
- The tuna
- Clams
- Sardines
- Mackerel
- Trout
- Oysters
- Molds
- Milk
- Emmental
- Camembert
Plants do not contain cobalamin, which is why vegans are strongly recommended to consume food supplements that are sources of vitamin B12″, specifies the Lescuyer laboratory.
What are the symptoms of a lack of vitamin B12?
According to the MSD Manual, deficiencies in vitamin B12 are generally present in people who do not consume any animal products or in people whose body does not absorb or does not store enough substance.
This vitamin B12 deficiency is manifested by:
- Significant and unusual fatigue
- A pallor
- Unusual muscle weakness
- Shortness of breath
- Memory impairment
- Palpitations
- Nausea
- Digestive disorders
Also Read: Can I Take Vitamin D And Calcium To Prevent Osteoporosis?
Vitamin B12: how to treat a deficiency?
The treatment of this deficiency is based on the supplementation of vitamin B12. Deficient patients who do not have symptoms are given oral vitamin B12 supplementation. A blood test is taken regularly to ensure that vitamin B12 levels return to normal and stay there.
“People who have symptoms of nerve damage are usually given vitamin B12 by intramuscular injection. The injections, which can be self-administered, are daily or weekly for several weeks until normal vitamin B12 levels return. These injections are administered once a month without limit of duration until the disorder causing the deficiency is cured,” explains the MSD Manual on its website.
Doctors also advise people who are deficient in consuming foods rich in vitamin B12. “In humans, an intake of the order of 2 µg / day is necessary, a dose generally reached by finishing products of animal origin.
