Additionally, older adults, people with gastrointestinal conditions, and those on certain medications, including proton pump inhibitors and metformin, may need to take a supplement.

Anyone with signs and symptoms of a vitamin B12 deficiency or pernicious anemia should consult a doctor. B 12 (also known as cobalamin) is essential for keeping your brain and nerves healthy and for making DNA and red blood cells. B 12 also helps lower levels of homocysteine, an amino acid linked (in high levels) to dementia, heart disease, stroke, and osteoporosis. Vitamin B12, like all B vitamins, is water-soluble, which means the body expels what it does not use. Its main job is to maintain healthy nerve cells, support proper brain function, and assist in the production of DNA and RNA. Vegans might struggle to get enough vitamin B12 from dietary sources, as plants and fungi don’t contain it. 8

10 best vegetarian B12 vitamin sources

We’ve explored all the different sources of vitamin B12 that you could add to your diet, but exactly how much do you need a day? Yeast extract spread. In yeast extract spreads like Marmite, there is approximately 0.5µg of vitamin B12 per 100g.

We typically get B 12 through diet. Rich sources include beef, liver, clams, poultry, fish, fortified cereals, eggs, cheese, yogurt, milk, and fortified plant milks (like soy, almond, or rice milks). For us to digest B 12, we first have to shake it loose from these foods. The Department of Health and Social Care recommends that folic acid supplements are taken by all women who are pregnant or could get pregnant. Although not commonly recommended as part of a healthy diet, fortified cereals can be a good source of B vitamins, especially B12. Food fortification is the process of adding nutrients that are not originally in the food. Being older than 75 years: Elderly people are more at risk for developing vitamin B12 deficiency because their bodies are often unable to fully absorb vitamin B12.Following a strict vegan or vegetarian diet: Vitamin B12 is only naturally found in animal products such as meat and dairy. Because of this, people who eat a vegan or vegetarian diet are more likely to have a vitamin B12 deficiency if they aren't eating enough fortified foods with vitamin B12. For vegans, boosting B12 intake can be slightly more challenging given the absence of animal foods in their diet. To counter this, incorporating fortified foods like nutritional yeast and breakfast cereals, as well as taking vitamin B12 supplements, is recommended. Health Risks, Potential Side Effects, And Contraindications In a large review, researchers discovered that vitamin B12 deficiency was associated with a higher risk of depression, but only in older females ( 22)

There's not enough evidence to know what the effects might be of taking high doses of riboflavin supplements each day. What does the Department of Health and Social Care advise?The prognosis for people who have vitamin B12 deficiency depends on how early the deficiency is diagnosed and treated. If the vitamin B12 deficiency is caught early, most people are able to get rid of their symptoms with treatment. Depending on the cause of your vitamin B12 deficiency, you may have to only take medication for a short amount of time, or you may have to take medication for the rest of your life. Red blood cells carry oxygen around the body. Most people with vitamin B12 or folate deficiency anaemia have underdeveloped red blood cells that are larger than normal. The medical term for this is megaloblastic anaemia. A blood test from your doctor can measure B12 levels. A serious deficiency can be corrected with B12 shots or high-dose supplements. Top foods with B12