What are the Top Ways to Get Vitamin B12 for Your Body?

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Vitamin B12 is a vital nutrient for the body. However, our body is not able to process the same on its own. Therefore, you might require the same through your diet or supplements. There are several vitamin B12 supplements out there for you to choose from. Let us know about the top sources of vitamin B12 for your body.

An Insight into Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is a vitamin that is soluble in water. This vitamin is known to feature several functions in your body. It is essential to ensure that your nerves are healthy while helping with supporting DNA’s production and that of the red blood cells. At the same time, also helps in maintaining normal day-to-day brain function.

Vitamin B12 and its absorption in the body takes place with the help of a specific protein –referred to as intrinsic factor. The given substance is responsible for binding the molecule of vitamin B12 while facilitating its absorption into the blood and cells. The body is known to absorb excess vitamin B12 in the liver. Therefore, if you end up consuming more of it, your body will save the same for future use.

You might develop the Vitamin B12 deficiency in case your body is not capable of producing ample intrinsic factor, or if you are not consuming food items that are rich in vitamin b12.

Top Sources of Vitamin B12

If you are looking forward to increasing your vitamin B12 intake, here are some of the top food items you can consider consuming:

  • Sardines: Sardines tend to be soft-boned, small-sized saltwater fish. You can usually come across sauces, oils, or even canned sardines. At the same time, you can also consider buying them fresh for yourself. Sardines tend to be full of nutrition. This is because they contain almost every nutrient in good quantities. In addition to being an excellent source of vitamin B12, sardines are also great sources of omega-3 fatty acids –resulting in a myriad of health benefits including improved heart health, reduction in inflammation, and so more.
  • Fortified Cereal: If you happen to be a vegetarian or a vegan, this source of vitamin B12 might work great for you. It is not derived from animal sources and is synthetically prepared. Fortified cereals are regarded as great sources of various vitamins –including vitamin B12. Food fortification is referred to as the process of adding nutrients that are not originally present in the given food. Research reveals that when you consume fortified cereals, it helps in increasing concentrations of vitamin b12 significantly. When you are selecting fortified cereal for increasing your vitamin b12 intake, you should ensure that you are selecting a brand that provides less sugar intake or high fiber content.
  • Fortified Nutritional Yeast: Nutritional yeast serves to be a great source of vitamins, minerals, and protein. It is a particular yeast species that is grown to serve as a food material –not to serve as a leveraging agent for beer and bread. Nutritional yeast does not contain vitamin b12 naturally. Therefore, it is mostly fortified to serve as an excellent source of essential vitamins and minerals. Just like fortified cereals, fortified yeast is also vegan as it is made synthetically.
  • Fortified Non-dairy Milk: Non-dairy milk is another great option for those who wish to opt for a vegan milk replacement. While rice milk, soy milk, or almond milk might not be rich in vitamin b12, these are mostly fortified to make them a great source of this essential vitamin. If you wish to increase vitamin b12 in your body and get rid of its deficiency, you should consume non-dairy milk.
  • Milk & Dairy Products: Some of these products like cheese and yogurt tend to be great sources of protein along with several essential vitamins & minerals –like vitamin b12. Cheese is rich in vitamin b12. It is assumed that one large slice or 22 grams of Swiss cheese is known to contain around 28 percent of vitamin b12 DV. Moreover, studies have also revealed that the body is known to consume vitamin b12 in a better position with milk or other dairy products.
  • Eggs: Eggs are considered as great sources of B vitamins (especially B12 and B2) and essential proteins. Two large-sized eggs (around 100 grams) are known to supply around 46 percent DV for vitamin b12. Research reveals that egg yolks have increased levels of vitamin b12 in comparison to egg whites. Moreover, it becomes easier to absorb vitamin b12 with the help of egg yolks. Therefore, you should eat whole eggs.

Conclusion 

Given the importance of vitamin b12 for your body, you should aim at consuming the same through your diet or vitamin b12 supplements.


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