Vitamin B12 deficiency, which can go unnoticed but eventually causes a host of symptoms including numbness of the extremities and yellowing of the skin and eyes, can be prevented by eating certain foods, according to Insider.
For nerves and blood cells
Vitamin B12 is a necessary nutrient for healthy nerves and red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout the body. But Dr. Brad Kamitaki, assistant professor of neurology at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, warns that vitamin B12 deficiency “can be undiagnosed or underdiagnosed because symptoms can be nonspecific,” such as fatigue, swollen tongue and palpitations. Tingling in the arm or leg.
Causes and symptoms
Vitamin B12 deficiency is usually due to two reasons: the first is malabsorption, due to conditions such as celiac disease or from not eating enough foods that contain the vitamin. Symptoms can take years to appear despite not getting enough vitamin B12, because the body can store it, and some people don’t need to keep track of their vitamin B12 intake because they eat animal products in the right amounts most days, as the vitamin is naturally found in meat, eggs and dairy products .
animal sources
But dietician Priya Teo explains, “It doesn’t mean that we should eat a lot and a lot of these foods, it’s just that we have some of them in our diet in general.”
The US National Institutes of Health recommends that the average adult consume 2.4 micrograms of vitamin B12 each day. For example, 3 ounces of cooked salmon or stir-fry beef contains the amount of vitamin B12 your body needs for the day, and a cup of 2% cow’s milk contains half the recommended intake.
Pregnancy and lactation
Pregnant and breast-feeding women need more vitamin B12, 2.6 and 2.8 mcg, respectively, to avoid deficiencies causing harm to babies, such as developmental delays and anemia.
Sources for vegetarians
According to the BDA, the vitamin B12 status of vegetarians should be checked, as vegetarians and those who have not eaten eggs, dairy and meat for more than 5 years are at risk of vitamin B12 deficiency, and their status should be checked.
Dr. Teo said that people who don’t eat animal products can get vitamin B12 from fortified breakfast cereals and nutritional yeast flakes, noting that it’s “really important” that people who don’t drink cow’s milk get plant-based milk fortified with vitamin B12.
Food Supplements
The BDA recommends long-term vegetarians take a supplement of about 10 mcg daily or as needed as directed by a doctor.
Vitamin B12 is water soluble, so if more than the daily amount needed is taken in, it is eliminated. However, Dr. Teo recommends that you consult your doctor or dietitian before starting to take nutritional supplements, to make sure that there is no underlying medical condition causing the deficiency and therefore the supplements do not achieve the desired result or there may be harmful interactions with other medications they are taking.