Vitamin B12 is an essential substance but the body cannot produce it itself. So what foods contain vitamin B12?

Let’s learn about the uses of vitamin B12 as well as where vitamin B12 is found.

The role of vitamin B12 in health

Vitamin B12 helps maintain stable metabolism, supports the production of DNA and blood cells, helps the nervous system stay healthy and maintains normal brain function.

The recommended daily intake of vitamin B12 is about 2.4mcg. This amount is slightly higher for pregnant or lactating women.

Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause health problems such as:

• Weakness, dizziness, fatigue
• Shortness of breath
• Nerve damage, numbness in limbs
• Pale skin, jaundice
• Swelling, inflammation of the tongue
• Constipation, bloating, loss of appetite
• Reduced vision
• Depression, mood swings.

Vitamin B12 helps maintain metabolic stability and keeps the nervous system healthy.

Find out which foods contain vitamin B12?

Although vitamin B12 participates in many important activities of the body, unfortunately the body cannot produce this vitamin itself and needs to be supplied from external food sources. Here is a list of foods rich in vitamin B12 that you can add to your daily menu.

1. Animal liver and kidney

Animal liver and kidney are known as one of the foods richest in vitamin B12. They are especially abundant in lamb. A 100g serving of lamb liver provides 3,571% of the body’s daily vitamin B12 needs. Meanwhile, 100g of beef or veal liver can contain about 3,000% of the recommended vitamin B12 intake.

In addition, the kidneys of calves, lambs and beef are also rich in vitamin B12. 100g of lamb kidney provides about 3,000% of the vitamin B12 your body needs daily.

2. Clams

Not only important for human health, vitamin B12 is also an indispensable component of shellfish such as clams. You can get more than 7,000% of the vitamin B12 your body needs every day by adding just 20 small clams. That shows that the vitamin B12 content in clams is very high. In addition, 100g of clam broth also contains 113 – 588% of the vitamin B12 your body needs every day, so when you finish boiling clams, take advantage of the clam water to increase vitamin B12 for your body.

Clams are rich in Vitamin B12.

3. Sardines

Just a small fish that lives in saltwater, but sardines contain a lot of nutrients. Therefore, we often see this type of fish not only sold fresh but also widely produced in the form of canned fish in oil, tomato sauce.

About 150g of drained sardines can provide up to 554% of the body’s daily vitamin B12 needs. Sardines are also rich in omega-3 fatty acids with many health benefits such as reducing inflammation and improving heart, brain, and vision health.

4. Beef

If you are looking for vitamin B12 in any food, you cannot help but mention beef with a vitamin B12 content of up to 467% in just a piece of steak about 190g. Completely meeting the body’s daily vitamin B12 needs. You should note that you choose low-fat beef to get more vitamin B12.

5. Tuna

Tuna is a food rich in vitamin B12 and also provides the body with many other important nutrients such as protein, phosphorus, selenium, vitamin A and vitamin B3. When consuming 100g of cooked tuna, you have absorbed 453% of the vitamin B12 that your body needs daily.

If you don’t have fresh tuna, canned tuna is also a very good alternative. Because 165g of canned tuna contains 115% of the vitamin B12 that the body needs daily.

Tuna not only provides vitamin B12, but also protein, phosphorus, selenium, vitamin A and vitamin B3.

6. Salmon

Not only famous for its abundance of Omega-3 fatty acids, salmon is also a food that contains a lot of vitamin B12. You only need to eat 178g of cooked salmon to meet 208% of the vitamin B12 your body needs every day. With this amount, salmon also gives you up to 4,123mg of omega-3 fatty acids and 40g of protein.

7. Dairy products

Where is vitamin B12 found? Look no further, it is right in milk and dairy products, typically yogurt and cheese. Using about 240ml of whole milk every day will provide the body with 46% of vitamin B12. If you use 22g of cheese, it contains about 28% of the recommended daily amount of vitamin B12.

Studies also show that supplementing vitamin B12 for the body through milk or dairy products is better than beef, fish or eggs.

8. Eggs

When it comes to vitamin B12 supplementation, eggs are a must. Eggs are easy to eat, easy to prepare and nutritious. In addition to high protein content, eggs are also rich in B vitamins, especially vitamins B2 and B12. 2 large eggs (about 100g) provide about 46% of the body’s daily vitamin B12 needs.

In 1 egg, the vitamin B12 content is more in the yolk than the white. And the B12 in the yolk is also more easily absorbed.

Eggs are rich in vitamin B12 and are very easy to prepare.

9. Nutritional yeast

One of the most vulnerable groups to vitamin B12 deficiency is those who follow a vegan diet, which means they do not eat eggs or milk. To overcome this problem, you can use nutritional yeast to supplement B12 for your body. A tablespoon of nutritional yeast can provide 4mcg of vitamin B12. This is a food added to dishes that can bring a flavor similar to cheese. You can add it to salads or add it while cooking other vegetarian dishes such as pumpkin sauce.

10. Shiitake mushrooms

Foods rich in vitamin B12 are actually found in animal-based dishes. But that does not mean that plants do not contain this vitamin. What foods contain vitamin B12? Shiitake mushrooms cannot be ignored, this is one of the few plant-based foods that contain B12. Every 50g of shiitake mushrooms will meet the amount of vitamin B12 that your body needs every day.

Vitamin B12 is easily found in a variety of foods. A varied diet will provide you with enough vitamins and minerals to keep your muscles healthy. You can also supplement vitamin B12 with B12 supplements or multivitamins.