Part two of my look at vitamin B12 reveals critical information that everyone needs to know. This is a vitamin that is often and easily overlooked, deep in the shadows of heavyweights like vitamin C, vitamin D, and folic acid. If you are wondering where the highest level of vitamin B12 in food is found, read on. If you are wondering if you should be concerned about how much you get, definitely read on.
Vitamin B12 is measured in “micrograms,” the abbreviation for which could be either mcg or µg. Here are the big foods with the highest amounts of vitamin B12:
Clams: 84 µg
Mussels: 20 µg
Crab 8.8 µg
Salmon 2.4 µg
Beef: 2.1 µg
Rockfish: 1 µg
One poached egg: 0.4 µg
Brie cheese (8 oz): 0.5 µg
Chicken/turkey (3 oz): 0.3 µg
Fake meat products: it varies, but it is often very substantial
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Keep watch for symptoms that might suggest you are deficient in vitamin B12. They include anemia, fatigue, weakness, constipation, loss of appetite, reduced weight, numbness and tingling in the hands and feet, difficulty in maintaining balance, depression, confusion, poor memory, and sore mouth/tongue.
If you or your loved ones are over 60 and experiencing some of the above symptoms, it is important that you consult with your physician to rule out the possibility of vitamin B12 deficiency as a cause. Comparatively, in infants a vitamin B12 deficiency may involve movement disorders, delayed development, and anemia.
Who needs vitamin B12 supplements? Here is a list of people who require a vitamin B12 supplement each day to prevent deficiency:
— People over 60 years old
— Strict vegetarians (avoiding meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy foods)
— Patients with pernicious anemia
— Patients who’ve had gastric surgery
— Patients with gastrointestinal disease leading to malabsorption of B12
— Patients on long-term use of medications that reduce B12 absorption
— Pregnancy
— People with other conditions; i.e. hyperthyroidism, hemorrhage, cancer, and liver or kidney disease