Here come the best vitamin B12 foods!
Vitamin B12 has something to do with vegans, right? Since more and more people are eating a plant-based diet, you actually hear more and more about this vitamin.
But why do we need it at all? And what vitamin B12 foods are there? And why does one immediately think of vegans?
Vitamin B12 is actually quite unknown. We know that vitamin A is in carrots, citrus fruits contain vitamin C but vitamin B12 food? Very few people have any idea about that.
If you feel the same way, you've come to the right place!
You'll learn in this post,
- why it is vital to take vitamin B12,
- What B12 foods you should eat,
- when it is no longer sufficient to absorb B12 through food alone and
- whether it makes sense to cover the need for the B vitamin with food supplements.
Maybe you are not aware of how important it is to take vitamin B12. This B vitamin is not very well known but no less important than vitamin C and Co.
Vitamin B 12 deficiency - Are you also affected?
Vitamin B12 is also known as cobalamin. It is involved in a variety of processes in your body.
In most cases, you can cover your vitamin B12 requirements naturally with food. Unless you are vegan, then it's difficult.
A healthy and varied diet is the solution to preventing vitamin deficiencies from occurring in the first place.
Do you already know the cookbook "Superfoods simple & regional? Here's a whole bunch of healthy recipes that are mega easy to prepare.
Table of contents
Why is it important to eat enough vitamin B12 foods?
Your body needs vitamin B12 every day. The big problem is that the body cannot produce the vitamin itself. The average daily requirement is about 3 micrograms.
That's why you should eat vitamin B12 foods every day:
Nerve strength: In order for your nerves to function properly, it is important to consume enough vitamin B12 food. A deficiency is therefore often noticeable through neurological symptoms such as tingling in the legs and arms.
Energy metabolism: For sufficient endogenous energy production in the mitochondria of the cells. Mitochondria are the power plants of our body.
Blood formation: The B12 vitamin is important for the formation of red blood cells. If too few of them are produced, then not enough oxygen reaches the cells. You feel weak, tired and very pale around the nose.
Folic acid metabolism: For folic acid to be absorbed by the body, it needs the B12 vitamin. It converts folic acid into an active form and can only then be utilized by the organism.
Do you already know the secret for balanced nutrition?
When B12 makes sense as a dietary supplement
I do not eat meat. Now and then fish. But meat at most 2x per year and of it once indirectly, because there is at our company Christmas party for the second year in a row fire pot. It is called Shabu Shabu in Japanese. This is a broth that you eat like fondue. So everyone can put in what they want.
And that's where meat ends up in the pot for the others.
In short: I really eat meat very very rarely. And that does have an impact on the vitamin B12 budget. Because if you look at the list below, you quickly realize: Besides meat, there are only a few foods with B12 that you really eat regularly.
That's why I regularly take B12 as a dietary supplement. Just have your vitamin status checked by a doctor first.
In addition, foods with a lot of B12 should still end up on your plate. You can read more about these foods here.
Vitamin B12 Food List
Here come the TOP 15 vitamin B12 foods. The data always refer to the occurrence in 100 grams of the food.
- Chlorella algae: 80 µg
- Cow liver: 65 µg
- Calf's liver: 60 µg
- Lamb liver: 35 µg
- Caviar: 16 µg
- Oysters: 14.5 µg
- Liver sausage, fine: 13.5 µg
- Rabbit: 10.0 µg
- Liver dumplings: 10.0 µg
- Mackerel: 9.0 µg
- Herring: 8.5 µg
- Blue mussel: 8.0 µg
- Beef lean: 5.0 µg
- Wild boar: 5.0 µg
- Trout:4.5 µg
Vitamin B12 Food Table
But because we all know very well that liver is really not to everyone's taste, here is a precise list according to food groups. We have created a graphic for you, so that you can remember them on Pinterest and have them always at hand. :)
Besides cheese and other dairy products, fish and seafood are also very good sources of vitamin B12.
If you want to benefit from a high number of vitamins, make sure when buying that you do not buy products from aquaculture. The healthiest is fish from the wild.
Vitamin B12 food for vegetarians and vegans
In the table you can already see that most vitamin B12 foods are very meat- and fish-heavy. As a vegan or vegetarian who does not eat fish, you should keep a close eye on your vitamin B12 budget.
As a vegetarian, you can cover your needs with cheese. If you like cheese, it is enough to eat two slices of Emmental and a small piece of Camembert.
Eggs are also good sources of B12. 100 grams of chicken egg have 1.9 µg of vitamin B12.
Deficiency symptoms occur rather rarely in vegetarians. Provided they eat enough dairy products and eggs.
But the situation is different for people who live vegan. If you are vegan, you abstain from all foods of animal origin.
30 days without animal products - My great self-test
However, B12 is mainly found in animal products. In fermented foods, such as sauerkraut, the vitamin is present but only in small quantities.
Chlorella algae is the only reliable source of B12 in plant foods. With 80 µg per 100 grams, the alga is even ahead of many animal foods.
However, there is now a whole range of foods that are simply converted into vitamin B12 foods. Margarine, soy milk and the like often contain vitamin B12. Just look very closely at the label.
As a vegan, it is important that you have regular blood checks. It can take a while before you notice symptoms due to a deficiency.
As a vegan, vitamin B12 supplements make sense.
When it is no longer sufficient to cover the need through food
Generally, the daily requirement can be met with B12 foods if you eat meat and fish.
However, there are exceptions where it is no longer sufficient to take food with B12.
You have an increased need for vitamin B12 if you have
- have an increased stress level,
- suffer from stomach and intestinal problems,
- need to take certain medications on a regular basis,
- you drink a lot of alcohol or smoke,
- have a high age,
- you are pregnant or breastfeeding,
- have chronic diseases and infections,
- have an unhealthy diet or
- suffer from utilization problems.
How useful are B12 vitamin supplements?
The largest B12 suppliers are animal products. It is therefore particularly difficult for vegans to cover their needs. In such cases it can make sense to Preparations with B12 to reach for. However, a blood test must always be carried out by a doctor beforehand to see whether there really is a deficiency.
But even if you eat animal foods, you may need more B12 in certain situations.
Then can Food supplements in the form of tablets or capsules make sense. In very bad cases it is also possible to eliminate the deficiency with injections.
Our conclusion
B12 is one of the most essential vitamins. If you eat a healthy diet or include animal-based foods in your diet, you are unlikely to develop a deficiency.
However, vegetarians and especially vegans should regularly have their blood checked by a doctor. A deficiency can then be corrected with B12 preparations.
So, treat yourself to vitamin B12 foods especially in stressful times. :)
Meal!
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