Foods with vitamin B12?

You may have heard of people taking vitamin B-12 supplements of shots. Do you need to take supplements, and are the shots truly of value?

We need vitamin B-12 for red blood cell production, a healthy nervous system, and to prevent anemia. Vitamin B-12 is also needed for the production of DNA.

Many weight loss clinics are prescribing B-12 shots, but most doctors do not believe this improves weight loss efforts. If you think your might be B-12 deficient, ask your doctor for a test; most people have stored enough B-12 to last them for years. While a vitamin B-12 shot may help you if you are truly anemic or deficient (which can be determined by a blood test), it will not improve your metabolism or make your more energetic if you are already getting enough vitamin B-12. Ask your doctor before you start taking vitamin B-12 shots or taking large doses of supplements, because too much B-12 can interfere with the effectiveness of particular medications.

Most people get plenty of vitamin B-12 if they regularly eat animal products. Most Americans get plenty of vitamin B-12 in their diet simply by eating milk, eggs, meat, shellfish, and fortified products. The people who need to worry are vegans–those who don’t eat meat, eggs, or dairy products. However, if vegans eat fortified cereals, they probably aren’t at high risk of deficiency.

If you get between 2.6-2.8 micrograms of vitamin B-12 a day, you’re probably getting enough. Just one cup of milk plus a suggested serving of fortified cereal can meet your vitamin B-12 needs for the day. If you have a deficiency, you probably have a problem absorbing B-12 or using the B-12 that your body has already stored. This may happen if the intestinal wall is not absorbing B-12 or if there is a problem with the body releasing B-12 that was previously absorbed. In most cases, people store vitamin B-12 for years, meaning deficiency is unusual.

If you find yourself still not getting enough nutrients their is a dietary supplement of b-12 you can buy

Meat, milk, bacteria, insects, alges, eggs and fish.

meat, fish, eggs, milk and milk products and some breakfast cereals