Top-5 Products Rich in Vitamin B12 + 5 Benefits You Will Get from It

Scientists estimate that 1.5 to 15 percent of the world’s population has vitamin B12 deficiency. With age, the likelihood of scarcity is only increasing. Symptoms of the lack of vitamin B12 are depression, confusion, poor memory, problems with coordination of motion, tingling and numbness in the legs and hands. If you have these symptoms, then you need to include more foods rich in B12 vitamins in your diet. In this article, we will look at products containing it, the health benefits and symptoms of deficiency.

Why is Vitamin B12 so important for the human body? What contribution does it make to the health? Which products contain B12? Products containing B12 do for us a few essential things: produce red blood cells and prevent anemia; participate in the construction, development of nerve cells; help cells digest proteins, carbohydrates and fats. One insidious moment is associated with vitamin B12. If the vitamin is not sufficient for a long period of time, irreversible changes occur in the functioning of the nervous system. Sometimes a person finds out about it too late.

Check Out the Content of Vitamin B12: 11 Symptoms of B12 Deficiency
Product number 1: Liver
Product number 2: Fish
Product number 3: Seafoods
Product number 4: Eggs
Product number 5: Dairy Products
5 Benefits of Vitamin B12 for Human Health
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Check Out the Content of Vitamin B12: 11 Symptoms of B12 Deficiency

unpleasant odor from the body;
sensation of burning and tingling in the tongue;
sores in the mouth and tongue;
nervousness and neuritis;
weakness, fatigue;
dizziness, headaches;
palpitation and shortness of breath during physical exertion;
decreased appetite;
pallor with mild jaundice of the skin;
feeling of numbness and crawling crawling;
Back pain, difficulty walking

Note: Regular intake of foods fortified with vitamin B12 is a good way to solve the problem. Here it is only necessary to keep in mind: the total amount of B12 should be at least 1 microgram at a time, and at least three such receptions per day. The availability of enriched products varies from country to country. And different types of fortified foods contain different amounts of vitamin B12. Therefore, it is always necessary to carefully check the information on the content of B12 in a particular product of a particular manufacturer.

Recommendations for taking vitamin B12:

0-12 months: 400 nanograms
1-3 years: 900 nanograms
4-8 years: 1.2 μg
9-13 years of age: 1.8 μg
14 years and older: 2.4 μg
pregnant women of any age: 2.6 μg
lactating women of any age: 2.8 mcg

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Product number 1: Liver

Vitamin B 12 is not synthesized either by animals or plants, its content depends solely on the ability to preserve the vitamin produced by microorganisms (for example, bacteria in the soil). Such opportunities are more in animals, so good sources of vitamin B12 are almost limited to products of animal origin.

Beef liver is one of the byproducts actively used in cooking, in the diet of athletes and in dietary nutrition. There are many ways to prepare the liver as an independent dish, and additions to garnishes. It is used in most of the world’s cuisine in cooked, baked, stewed and fried. Visually, the liver should look homogeneous and smooth. Depending on whether it is a liver of a calf or of the more adult animal, it is somewhat different in structure. In young animals, it is more tender and friable.

The best that is in the beef liver there is a large amount of vitamin B12. Try to buy the liver of beef of the highest quality, which means from cows that have been grown in conditions that are as close as possible to their natural habitat. The liver of beef is an excellent remedy for anemia, because in addition to B12 it contains iron and folate salts. These three substances contained in the liver, the best natural remedy in the fight against anemia.

Due to the presence in the beef liver of a large amount of vitamin B12, the use of the product helps to:

prevent the occurrence of mental disorders,
smooth the symptoms of depression and emotional breakdowns,
increase the concentration of attention.

The daily requirement of the body in vitamin B12 is 2.4 mg. And in 100 grams of beef liver contains there is 60 mg of this useful substance.

75 grams of stewed beef liver contains 52.9 micrograms of vitamin B12, pork – 15.9 micrograms, chicken – 12.6 micrograms. Other sources are liver sausage (10.1 μg) and goose liver pate (7.05 μg).

Note: For those who completely refuses products of animal origin, the source of vitamin B12 should be artificial multivitamin complexes. It is important to remember that most often for their production they use not genetic synthesis, but genetically modified bacteria. Therefore, those vegetarians who choose absolutely ethical nutrition, are also forced to carefully choose among artificial drugs that will fully meet their requirements. The source of cobalamins for vegans are B12 enriched foods: dry breakfasts, brewer’s yeast and food yeast, artificially enriched with vitamin B12, vitaminized flakes and crushed grain products, chocolate bars, energy drinks, and special B12 additives at various dosages.

Important: The product is indispensable in diets for weight normalization. There is even a separate hepatic diet, which, when obese, allows you to lose up to 8 kg per week. This is due to the low calorie content of the product and the simultaneous ability to cause a feeling of saturation. And the fact that with this diet metabolism is activated, it makes it possible to normalize metabolic processes: from the body toxic compounds are quickly released, it gets rid of excess kilograms.

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Product number 2: Fish

Another natural source of cyanocobalamin is fish. Scientists have found out that any inhabitants of reservoirs contain this microelement. We shall only name those species of fish in which its quantity is really large:

herring: smoked – 18 mcg, salted – 13 mcg;
mackerel – 8.71 mcg;
perch – 1,9 mkg;
carp – 1.5 mcg;
cod – 0,91 mkg.

Important: Thus, if you choose in which fish products and fish there is Vitamin B12, then the sea predatory species will be the winners. The fatter the fish, the more cyanocobalamin it contains.

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Product number 3: Seafoods

There is good news for lovers of seafood. In some of them, there is even more Vitamin B12 than in meat! So, a 100-gram serving of octopus fillets will supply the body with 20 μg of cyanocobalamin. What other popular products belonging to sea delicacies contain vitamin b12? The following seafoods have the rich content of B12:

mussels – 12 mkg (the same amount is contained in fish eggs);
shrimp – 1,1 mcg.

B12 can be found in lobsters and oysters, but, unfortunately, not everyone has the financial opportunity to diversify their diet.

Important:Although fish caviar is not considered a seafood, it is also rich in vitamin B12, in content almost reaching that of mussels. However, it can be considered one of the most expensive sources of this vitamin.

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Product number 4: Eggs

In eggs, vitamin B12 is present in an amount of about 0.9 μg per 100 grams of product. Use eggs as the main source of this substance is undesirable, since with them the body receives a large amount of cholesterol.

Check out the content of B12:

Egg duck 5.4 μg 225.0%
Chicken egg yolk 5.1 μg 212.9%
Goose egg 5.1 μg 212.5%
Egg substitutes 3.5 μg 146.7%
Egg Yolk 2.0 μg 81.3%
Turkey’s egg 1.7 μg 70.4%
Egg quail 1.6 μg 65.8%
Boiled chicken egg 1.1 μg 46.3%
Egg chicken 0.9 μg 37.1%
Protein of chicken egg 0.2 μg 7.5%
Egg protein 0.1 μg

Important: If you follow the level of cholesterol in your body, pay attention to the size of the portion of the dish from eggs: one egg yolk contains about 60% of the daily cholesterol dose.

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Product number 5: Dairy Products

This group of products, rich not only with vitamin B12, but also other useful substances. In the first place in terms of content of B12 there are Swiss cheeses, but other dairy products (cottage cheese, yogurt, sour cream, milk itself) are also able to make up for the lack of cyanocobalamin in your body.

Here you will find the vitamin B12 content in products from the category – milk and dairy products. The figures show the percentage of vitamin B12 from the daily requirement, calculated on the basis of a serving of 100 g.

Protein additives based on milk 4.2 μg 175.0%
Milk powder 3.3 μg 135.4%
Swiss cheese 3.1 μg 127.5%
Feta cheese 1.7 μg 70.4%
Mozzarella cheese 1.7 μg 70.0%
Cheese Bree 1.7 μg 68.8%
Gouda cheese 1.5 μg 64.2%
Cheese Edam 1.5 μg 64.2%
Camembert cheese 1.3 μg 54.2%
Cheese with mold 1.2 mkg 50.8%
Parmesan cheese 1.2 mcg 50.0%
Sheep milk 0,7 mkg 29,6%
Cow milk (2% fat content) 0.5 μg 22.1%
Yogurt 0.5 μg 20.8%
Cottage cheese 2% fat content 0.5 mcg 19.6%
Condensed milk 0.4 μg 18.3%
Sour cream 0.4 μg 17.5%
Whole cow milk (3.7% fat content) 0.4 μg 15.0%
Skimmed fat free 0.3 μg 12.5%
Kefir 0.3 μg 12.1%
Ricotta cheese 0.3 μg 12.1%
Cheese cream 0.2 μg 9.2%
Goat cheese 0.2 μg 9.2%
Milk whey 0.2 mcg 7.5%
Goat milk 0.1 μg

Important:Yogurt is an especially good source of vitamin B-12. It contains protein, potassium, calcium, B vitamins and vitamin D. Each serving (250 ml) of simple fat-free product contains 1.3 μg of vitamin B12.

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5 Benefits of Vitamin B12 for Human Health

1. Prevents cancer

Deficiency of vitamin B12 does not give salts of folic acid to be transformed into an active form. Because of this, faults are formed in the DNA circuits due to improperly formed links. Damaged DNA chains, according to scientists, can cause cancer. It is believed that supplements with vitamin B12 and folic acid can prevent the appearance of cancer cells and even treat certain types of this disease. Vitamin B12 is unusual in its “origin”. Unlike most others synthesized by plants or animals, the only source of vitamin B12 are the tiny microorganisms – bacteria, yeast, mold, algae. The most famous function of vitamin B12, is an indispensable role in the development of red blood cells. DNA molecules (DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acids, are a substance in the nucleus of the cell that contains genetic information) ripen in red blood cells. Without B12, DNA synthesis is impossible, and the information necessary for the formation of red blood cells is not transmitted. So there is a disease of malignant anemia.

2. Strengthens brain health

Insufficient vitamin B12 increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease in the elderly. It helps maintain a low level of homocysteine, which plays an important role in the development of this disease. It is also important for care, reduces the symptoms of ADHD and improves memory.

3. Prevents depression

Numerous studies have confirmed the relationship between depression and vitamin B12 deficiency. It is responsible for the synthesis of neurotransmitters, which affects the mood of a person. In one study, published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, 700 women with disabilities older than 65 years were involved. The researchers found that women with vitamin B12 deficiency are twice as likely to suffer from depression than women in whose diet there is enough B12.

4. Prevents anemia and erythrocyte production

Vitamin B12 is essential for the development of healthy and normal red blood cells. B12 prevents anemia, especially megaloblastic anemia. It is a form of anemia, in which a smaller number of erythrocytes is produced, while they are large and immature. They are not able to carry the necessary amount of oxygen to tissues and organs, which is usually manifested in symptoms of weakness and fatigue.

5. Increases energy reserves

Vitamin B12 turns carbohydrates, proteins and fats, obtained from food, into “fuel” for our body. That’s why people with its deficiency feel constant fatigue. Vitamin B12 by means of signals to neuromediators shortens our muscles and gives an energy boost for the whole day. To maintain the energy charge at the optimal level throughout the day, eat foods containing vitamin B12 in large quantities regularly.

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