Explore Each of the Vitamin B12 Rich Foods and Select Your Favorite!

Consuming vitamin B12 rich foods is paramount to protect yourself from the major medical complications. Vitamin B12 is an integral component of the healthy maintenance of the body because this Vitamin is important for the synthesis of DNA in the body, blood cells, and the nerves.

In the body, the liver is the main organ where Vitamin B12 will be stored. It is a Vitamin which is soluble in water. The most stable form of Vitamin B12 is Cyanocobalamin. So, stock up the Vitamin B12 rich foods from the nearest grocery and boost your body metabolism today!

Things To Discuss:

Facts about Vitamin B12
List of Vitamin B12 Foods for Vegetarians
You Can Obtain Vitamin B12 from Meat Too
Other Best Sources of Vitamin B12
Table – How Much of Vitamin B12 Should You Consume?
Consequences of Vitamin B12 Deficiency
Health Benefits of the Vitamin B12

Facts About Vitamin B12:

Vitamin B12 is a crucial Vitamin for the body. It is found in most products which are derived from animals such as meat, eggs, dairy products, etc. The Vitamin is also produced by some bacteria. It is paramount to understand that there are no plant derivatives for the Vitamin. It is the main reason for including Vitamin B12 foods in the diet.

If you are amongst those people who avoid having animal products, then soy products are the healthiest alternatives to meet the Vitamin B12 requirement. Studies have proved that the absorption of Vitamin B12 will gradually decrease in people above 50 years of age. Therefore, it is recommended to take foods high in Vitamin B12 and the supplements of the Vitamin.

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List of Vitamin B12 Foods for Vegetarians

1. Do You Prefer Dairy Products?

One of the best ways to meet the required dose of the Vitamin in your body is to consume dairy products. The ease with dairy products is the convenience of having them at any point in time. Dairy products are the best foods high in B12.

You can add some yoghurt to the lunch with some vegetable curries, add a slice of cheese to the bread as an evening snack, a glass of milk at mid-day, milk with cereal as breakfast, hard-boiled eggs as salads, scrambled eggs, etc. Therefore, you must add some dairy products to your diet as the best Vitamin B12 foods for vegetarians.

• 8 ounces of yoghurt- 1.1 micrograms of the Vitamin.
• 1 cup of low-fat milk- 1.2 micrograms of the Vitamin.
• 1 ounce of Swiss cheese- 0.9 micrograms of the Vitamin.
• 1 hard-boiled egg- 0.6 micrograms of the Vitamin.

2. Add Fortified Cereals To Your Diet!

If you have wondered what foods contain Vitamin B12, then cereals are the best foods. The best-fortified food is the cereal that you eat at breakfast. Cereals will range in the content of Vitamin B12 in each serving, depending on the brands and the types. Cereals will facilitate the process of digestion as they don’t need to be broken down.

Apart from being healthy, cereals will also aid in losing weight. You will be satisfied for long durations of time after having cereals and hence, facilitate in losing weight. Hence, incorporate cereals into your diet as the best Vitamin B12 rich foods.

• ¾th cup of Kellogg’s cereal- 1.5 micrograms of B12.
• ½ cup of grape nuts- 1.5 micrograms of B12.

3. Have You Heard About Nutritional Yeast?

Nutritional yeast is one of the best foods high in Vitamin B12. Especially with vegetarian people, it is the most preferred foods amongst all. Nutritional yeast will provide a flavor similar to Cheese. You can sprinkle some nutritional yeast on popcorn or sandwich as a healthy snack.

• A tbsp of nutritional yeast- 4 micrograms of Vitamin B12.

4. Shitake Mushroom For Vitamin B12:

You need not feel unsure about mushrooms whether they can be consumed by vegetarians because they are undoubtedly a source of vegetarian food. Obtaining Vitamin B12 from plant derivatives is almost impossible. Most of the plant-based foods are low in Vitamin B12 content. However, shitake mushrooms are Vitamin B12 rich foods.

It is paramount to understand that consuming the mushroom will not meet the daily recommended dose of the Vitamin. However, you can add some mushrooms to the diet plan to get traces of the Vitamin.

• 50 grams of Shitake mushrooms- 2.4 micrograms of Vitamin B12

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You Can Obtain Vitamin B12 from Meat Too!

5. Clams – One of the excellent vitamin b12 rich foods

Clams are a kind of seafood that is most popularly consumed in the areas of U.S, China and Japan as these countries are the top consumers of seafood. You can go for the consumption of clams, but you must necessarily be aware of the number of clams being consumed because excess consumption of vitamin b12 can cause itchiness and rashes on your skin.

You can either eat clams in its raw form, you can boil them, bake the clams, fry or steam them, but you must ensure that you do not consume more than 2.6 micrograms of vitamin b-12 per day.

6. Seafood – Different types of fish

If you are looking for various sources of vitamin b-12, the best kind of foods that can be easily included in your diet are salmons, trouts, sardines and tuna, all of which are different varieties of fish. If you are a seafood lover You need not have a second thought whether you have been consuming enough amounts of vitamin b-12 because seafood is the best source of vitamin b12. Let us explore the speciality of each variety of seafood

a) Salmons

Fishermen from the U.S have a great time catching salmons because the U.S is the topmost producer of salmons. But the good news is that more than half of the salmons are exported to other countries making it one of the top seafood suppliers especially salmons.

Since this variety of seafood is largely available, you can increase the intake of this fish which is the best possible way to gain vitamin b12 quickly. Apart from being a rich source of vitamin b12, salmons also help in improving the bone strength, brain function, heart health, eyesight and texture of the skin.

b) Trouts

One interesting fact about trouts is that there are different varieties of trouts that are edible and very popularly consumed. The next time you decide to consume seafood, you can choose a new variety out of rainbow, lake, brook and bull which are some of the varieties. Most popularly available species among these is the lake species.

Being a good source of vitamin b12 is not the only reason why you should try consuming this fish, but trout is also enriched with different minerals like calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, manganese, selenium, phosphorous, copper and iron.

c) Sardines

If you have been looking for the best of the vitamin b12 rich foods, you should definitely not miss on sardines because by simply consuming three ounces of sardines, you will gain 338 per cent of vitamin b12. You will also be enriched with omega-3 fatty acids, selenium, calcium, copper, iodine, choline, phosphorous and vitamin b3.

d) Tuna

The quantity of tuna that should be consumed by you should not be less than two servings of tuna per week. If you are looking for weight loss, you can include this freshwater fish into your diet because it contains fewer amounts of fat and cholesterol and is a rich source of vitamin b12, selenium, proteins and vitamin D.

It is hugely recommended to consume canned tuna as this is the healthiest way of consumption when compared to boiling or grilling.

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Other Best Food Sources of Vitamin B12:

There are various Vitamin B12 foods which can be conveniently added to the daily diet plan. Now that you are aware of the health benefits of the Vitamin, you must ensure you have sufficient foods to meet the recommended dose.

If you wonder what foods contain Vitamin B12, then you must look at the following table:

Food	Serving	Vitamin B12 mcg
Milk	1cup	1.2
Buttermilk	1 cup	1
Cottage cheese	1 cup	1.5
Cheddar	50 gm	0.5
Plain yogurt	¾ cup	0.5
Yogurt beverage	200 ml	0.7
Soya milk	250 ml	1
Liver	75 gm	59.2
Kidney (lamb)	75 gm	27.7
Kidney (beef)	75 gm	18.7
Chicken	75 gm	0.3
Beef	75 gm	7.1
Cooked clams	75 gm	15.7
Cooked oysters	75 gm	21.7
Tuna	75 gm	9.3
Eggs	2 large	1.7
Almonds	1 cup	1
Mushrooms	50 gm	2.5

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Table – How Much of Vitamin B12 Should You Consume?

If you aim at getting the best Vitamin B12 benefits, then you must meet the daily requirement of the Vitamin in the body. Understand the following table to plan your meals accordingly:

Age (Years)	Gender	Vitamin B12 mcg
7-11 months	Infants	0.6
4-12	Boy	1.2
4-12	Girl	1.2
Above 19	Male	2.4
Above 19	Female	2.4
Above 19	Pregnant Female	2.6
Above 19	Breastfeeding Female	2.8

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Consequences of Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Having a diet rich in Vitamin B12 fruits and foods is the best way to meet the daily recommended dose. You must monitor the level of the Vitamin in the body on a regular basis to maintain a healthy body.

You can incorporate Vitamin B12 rich foods into your diet. If you suffer from extremely low levels of the Vitamin in the body, the doctor can prescribe you supplements to ensure the body gets the appropriate amount of B12.

Vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to a serious medical condition called as Pernicious Anemia. Apart from Anemia, the deficiency of the Vitamin can also cause various neurological disorders, lead to the inability of the cells to undergo division, etc.

It is paramount to identify the initial signs and symptoms to be able to get the treatment on time. The most common Vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms can be enlisted as follows:

• Fatigue.
• Lethargy.
• Nerve damage.
• Tingling sensation in hands, feet, shoulder, etc.
• Numbness of the body parts.
• Blurred vision.
• General body weakness.
• High grade or low-grade
• Excessive sweating.
• Difficulty in walking straight.
• Sore tongue.
• Mouth ulcers.
• Indigestion.

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Health Benefits Of The Vitamin B12:

Consuming Vitamin B12 rich foods is important for the vital functioning of the body. It helps in boosting the levels of energy in the body to a considerable extent. It maintains the proper synthesis of DNA in the body, helps the blood cells in the division, protects the nervous system of the body, etc.

People who eat eggs and meats will be able to meet the recommended dose of the Vitamin. Especially vegetarian people must incorporate dairy products into the diet to meet the levels of Vitamin B12 lest they will suffer from Vitamin B12 deficiency.

The diverse range of benefits of having Vitamin B12 foods for vegetarians and non-vegetarians can be enlisted as follows:

• Effective analgesic.
• Prevents brain disorders.
• Providing protection from Alzheimer’s disease, Dementia, etc.
• Fights depression.
• Improves the sleeping patterns.
• Boosts lactation in breastfeeding mothers.
• Treats dry skin effectively.

Vitamin B12 As An Effective Analgesic:

From olden days, people who consumed Vitamin B12 rich foods found effective relief from pain. It acts as an excellent analgesic, reducing the pain, tingling sensation, and numbness caused in the hands, feet, shoulders, etc.

Studies have proved that the intramuscular injection of Vitamin B12 helps in alleviating the lower back pain. Cobalamin is also used to treat mouth ulcers to a significant extent. So, incorporate Vitamin B12 fruits in the diet as the best way to alleviate pains and aches in the body.

Link Between Vitamin B12 And Brain Development:

Having foods high in B12 is found to be beneficial for the healthy development and functioning of the brain. People who take the supplement of the Vitamin are found be less prone to disorders such as depression, mood swings, Dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, etc.

The Vitamin is found to be effective in augmenting the natural regeneration of the nerve cells which are damaged. Pregnant women are advised to have Vitamin B12 rich foods during the duration of the pregnancy to facilitate the healthy development of the brain in the fetus.

Read More: Foods Should Avoid During Pregnancy

Vitamin B12 And Healthy Skin?

The Vitamin B12 benefits are innumerable. One of the best benefits is to maintain healthy skin, especially for people who have a dry skin type. The topical application of the vitamin through skin creams or lotions will facilitate in making the skin supple and soft.

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Conclusion

Having the foods rich in Vitamin B12 is the best way to meet the daily requirement of the Vitamin. Supplements do work well however, it is best to stick with the natural products. So, stock your refrigerator with the nutritious and Vitamin B12 rich foods today!