Vitamin B12, also called cobalamin, is a B-complex vitamin essential for the health of the blood and nervous system. This vitamin is easily found in common foods like 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 as an injectable vitamin B12.
What is Vitamin B12 for?
Vitamin B12 is for the formation of blood cells along with folic acid.
When the consumption of foods rich in vitamin B12 is small, as is especially the case with vegetarians, a dietary supplement of vitamin B12 should be taken to avoid pernicious anemia and other complications such as stroke and heart disease. This prescription should always be made by a medical specialist such as the gastroenterologist or hematologist.
Where to find vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is found in higher amounts in foods of animal origin such as dairy products, meats, liver, fish and eggs.
List of foods rich in vitamin B12:
- Oyster
- Liver
- Meat in general
- eggs
- milk
- Brewer's yeast
- Fortified 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 of stomach secretion as well as in patients with hypothyroidism.
The initial symptoms of lack of vitamin B12 include:
- fatigue, lack of energy or dizziness when standing up or making an effort;
- lack of concentration;
- memory and attention:
- tingling in the legs.
Then there is an aggravation of the deficiency, generating megaloblastic anemia or pernicious anemia, characterized by hyperactivity of the bone marrow and appearance of abnormal blood cells. See all the symptoms of lack of this vitamin here.
Vitamin B12 levels are assessed on a blood test and are considered vitamin B12 deficiency when vitamin B12 values are below 150 pg / mL in that test.
Excess vitamin B12
Excess vitamin B12 is rare because the body easily removes vitamin B12 through the urine when it is in large amounts in the body.
Vitamin B12 Supplements
Vitamin B12 supplements may be needed for individuals who have a shortage of vitamin B12 in blood proven 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 for 100g of salmon and widely surpassed per 100g of beef liver steak.
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