- What is vitamin B12 for?
- Where to find vitamin B12
- Lack of vitamin B12
- Too much vitamin B12
- Vitamin B12 Supplements
Vitamin B12, also called cobalamin , is a vitamin of the B complex, essential for the health of the blood and nervous system. This vitamin is easily found in common foods such as eggs or cow's milk, but supplementation may be necessary in cases of patients with malabsorption syndrome for example. Vitamin B12 can be prescribed by the doctor in the form of injectable vitamin B12.
What is vitamin B12 for?
Vitamin B12 is used to form blood cells together with folic acid.
When the consumption of foods rich in vitamin B12 is small, as occurs especially among vegetarians, a vitamin B12 food supplement should be taken to prevent pernicious anemia and other complications, such as stroke and heart disease. This prescription should always be made by a specialist doctor such as a gastroenterologist or hematologist.
Where to find vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is found in greater amounts in animal foods such as dairy products, meat, liver, fish and eggs.
List of foods rich in vitamin B12:
- OystersLiversMeat in generalEggsMilkBeer beer Enriched cereals
Lack of vitamin B12
The lack of vitamin B12 is rare and vegetarians are the group most at risk of developing a deficiency in this vitamin, since it is found only in foods of animal origin. B12 deficiency can also occur in individuals with digestive problems such as malabsorption syndrome or deficiency in stomach secretion as well as in patients with hypothyroidism.
Initial symptoms of a lack of vitamin B12 include:
- fatigue, lack of energy or dizziness when standing up or making effort, lack of concentration, memory and attention: tingling in the legs.
Then there is a worsening of the deficiency, causing megaloblastic anemia or pernicious anemia, characterized by bone marrow hyperactivity and abnormal blood cells appearing in the blood. See all the symptoms of the lack of this vitamin here.
Vitamin B12 levels are assessed in a blood test and vitamin B12 deficiency is considered when vitamin B12 values are less than 150 pg / mL in that test.
Too much vitamin B12
Excess vitamin B12 is rare because the body easily eliminates vitamin B12 through urine or sweat when it is in large amounts in the body. And when this accumulation exists, the symptoms can be allergic reactions or an increased risk of infections because the spleen may enlarge and the body's defense cells may lose function.
Vitamin B12 Supplements
Vitamin B12 supplements may be necessary for individuals who have a lack of vitamin B12 in their blood as demonstrated by blood tests. It can be consumed in its natural form, by increasing the consumption of foods rich in vitamin B12, or in synthetic form, in the form of tablets, solution, syrup or injectable for the time determined by the doctor.
The reference intake for vitamin B12 in healthy adults is 2.4 mcg. The recommendation is easily reached by 100g of salmon and largely exceeded by 100g of beef liver steak.
