4 Foods High In Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is a nutrient that many vegans lack. People who lack this vitamin may experience health problems. For example, they may develop chronic and complex pathologies such as anemia. In today’s article we will share 4 foods with a lot of vitamin B12, so you can ensure that you get enough diet.

You should note that it is rare for people with a balanced and varied diet to have vitamin B12 deficiency. However, if you experience this problem, you should try to include the foods we will show you in your diet.

Sources of Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is usually found in foods of animal origin. For example, meat, eggs, dairy and fish contain it. However, they do not all contain the same concentration of it.

It is also possible to find some ultra-processed vegetable products that have this micronutrient in them. However, they have added B12 afterwards. This is the case with some cereals or even some vegetable drinks.

To avoid deficiencies, we recommend including different foods of animal origin in your diet. If you eat two servings of dairy a day, along with a source of protein with high biological value, you should meet your daily requirements.

Foods high in vitamin B12

Let’s look at some foods high in vitamin B12 so you can work on including them in your diet.

1. Salmon

Salmon has one of the highest concentrations of B12 of all fish. If you eat 90 grams (4 oz) of it, you are already doubling your recommended daily intake of B12. In addition, it is one of the large fish that contains the least heavy metals.

2. Liver of cattle

Cattle liver stands out because it contains so many important nutrients. And among these nutrients is vitamin B12.

If you eat 100 grams of beef liver, you get several times the recommended daily value of vitamin B12. Therefore, it is a good food to prevent anemia. It also contains high quality iron.

3. Mussels

In general, shellfish contain plenty of vitamin B12. Mussels contain a lot of this nutrient, and they also have a good amount of iron. Therefore, doctors recommend that people with anemia include them in their diet.

4. Dairy

Doctors recommend consuming at least two servings of dairy a day. These products contain proteins and fats, and they also have plenty of vitamin B12 and calcium. In addition, fermented products, such as yogurt, also contain probiotics.

Consequences of vitamin B12 deficiency

Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause a number of negative consequences for your health. Two consequences that stand out are anemia and problems in the nervous system. We will tell you more about them below.

Megaloblastic anemia

According to a study in the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine , if you do not meet your daily B12 requirements, you may develop problems with red blood cell production. This problem can then trigger anemia. In these cases, you may feel tired due to the inefficiency of oxygen transport.

Unlike anemia from low iron intake, megaloblastic anemia causes a malformation in the red blood cells. This prevents them from performing their functions properly. To reverse the problem, you must meet your daily requirements again.

Polyneuropathy

Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause tingling and numbness in the extremities, especially in the fingers and toes. Research in Terapevticheskii Arkhiv also says that in severe cases you may have difficulty walking.

Mucosal problems

Lack of vitamin B 12 can also cause a burning sensation on the tongue or increased irritability of the mucous membranes. In these situations, it is common to get sores or colds.

In addition, there are other nonspecific symptoms, such as constipation, diarrhea, loss of appetite, fatigue, tiredness and irritability. However, these are also symptoms of many other diet problems.

Include foods high in vitamin B12 in your diet

As you can see, vitamin B12 deficiency can affect your health. Because of this, it is important to include foods with this nutrient in your diet on a regular basis.

If you are vegan, consider using supplements to avoid problems. Foods of vegetable origin do not contain this nutrient, so not eating animal products can cause deficiency if you do not take precautions.