What is Vitamin B12?
Vitamin B12 actually refers to a family of vitamins including cyanocobalamin . These vitamins come from our diet but also from the intestinal flora . Vitamin B12 is stored in the liver but also in certain muscles. A deficiency can take months or years to be detected because the body can store vitamin B12 without assimilating it again through food.
In case of vitamin B12 deficiency the patient may experience anemia fatigue tingling in the feet and hands constipation alternating with episodes of diarrhea mood disorders burning sensation in the tongue dizziness and weight loss. In the elderly a deficiency can affect memory.
Infants need 0.5 micrograms of vitamin B12 per day this rate increases to 3.5 micrograms for adolescents from 12 years old then adults need 4 micrograms per day. Pregnant and breastfeeding women need 5.5 micrograms of vitamin B12 per day so getting enough is especially important.
What are the benefits of vitamin B12?
Vitamin B12 has a key role in our body particularly in the formation of red blood cells in the production of genetic material inside cells in the functioning of the nervous system in the metabolism of homocysteine and in assimilation of folic acid and carbohydrates.
Where is vitamin B12 found?
Vitamin B12 is found exclusively in animal products such as organ meats red meat poultry fish seafood dairy products and eggs. The food richest in vitamin B12 is beef or veal liver with 60 to 65 micrograms of vitamin B12 per 100 grams of meat. However this vitamin is not found in fruits and vegetables.
This means that vegetarians (who do not consume meat or fish) and even more so vegans (who do not eat any animal products) are at risk of being deficient in vitamin B12. It is strongly recommended that they take vitamin B12 supplements in the form of tablets or injections. The same goes for patients suffering from chronic bowel diseases or pernicious anemia or patients who have undergone bariatric surgery.