All You Need To Know About Vitamin B12 Sources, Benefits & Side Effects

Eating smart right from the start goes a long way. One of the aspects of eating smart and healthy covers the intake of various vitamins, which help us build our immunity and fight diseases. One such vitamin that is super essential for our growth, development, and proper functioning is Vitamin B12. In order to get enough Vitamin B12, there are tons of vitamin B12 sources that can help you obtain the right amounts of the nutrient.

Vitamin B12, which is also known as Cobalamin, is responsible for taking care of our bone health, red blood cells, and the overall immunity of our body. This article will focus on the various vitamin B12 sources, vitamin B12 rich foods, and vitamin B12 benefits so that you can eat better and live better.

The Essential Vitamin That Our Body Needs – Vitamin B12

While there is no denying that each and every vitamin plays a different role in our body, the deficiency of even one of them can create serious issues in our body that can affect our health. However, vitamin B12 is super essential for people of all ages, as we all require this vitamin to function properly.

Vitamin B12 is also essential for the body because –

• This vitamin directly goes into the stomach, where it is absorbed with the help of a protein known as an intrinsic factor. This binds the Vitamin B and further facilitates it into the blood and cells to be used by other organs as well.

• Moreover, the excess Vitamin B12 directly gets stored in your liver which the body uses for future use. However, if you don’t consume many vitamin B12 sources, your body might develop a vitamin B12 deficiency, which can be harmful to you in the long run.
• From bone health, to birth defects to depression, consumption of foods that contain vitamin B12 keep all illnesses away, and ensure a healthy mind and body.

There are tons of vitamin B12 rich foods, especially meat, fish, and dairy products. However, there might be times when the body cannot derive as much vitamin B12 from the food. At such times, people should eat more vitamin B12 rich foods or even shift to consuming some vitamin B12 supplements.

Different Vitamin B12 Sources

Vitamin B12 is one of the 13 essential vitamins that our body needs for growth and development. We are dependent on our dietary sources to meet the requirement of Vitamin B12 in our bodies. 

For vitamin B12 foods vegetarian and non-vegetarian both options are there. You can choose the one that best suits your lifestyle choices and requirements. Ideally, some of the best vitamin B12 rich foods are yoghurt, milk, eggs, meat, and fish. However, it can also be procured and derived from other vitamin B12 sources, some of which are –

• Animal kidneys and liver
• Beef
• Clams
• Tuna
• Fortified cereal
• Nutritional yeast
• Trout
• Milk and dairy products
• Eggs
• Sardines

These are some foods that help our bodies with an immense amount of vitamin B12, which helps us in many ways. Primarily, some of the most significant vitamin B12 uses are that it helps with the proper function of nerves, the brain, and the blood cells. However, to understand the various vitamin B12 uses better, let us also look at the various vitamin B12 benefits.

Benefits of Adding Vitamin B12 Sources to Your Diet

Vitamin B12 is a super vitamin, as it helps the body in many ways. From boosting the energy to improving memory, here are some vitamin B12 benefits, which will also help you understand the various vitamin B12 uses – 

1. Production of red Blood Cells (RBCs)

Deficiency of Vitamin B12 causes a reduction in blood cell formation, which later causes anaemia resulting in fatigue and weakness. Therefore, this vitamin is truly important as this is one of the essential B12 benefits. Moreover, if there is insufficient Vitamin B12 in the body, the red blood cells are formed of an irregular shape which can also cause megaloblastic anaemia. 

2. Bone Health Support

One of the many benefits B complex serves is that it helps maintain bone health and prevents osteoporosis. A good level of B12 benefits the body in many ways, and it also helps to maintain mineral density in the bones. Therefore, you should focus on adding more vitamin B12 foods to your diet to prevent any deficiencies.

3. Prevention of Birth Defects

Vitamin B12 benefits the unborn child if the mother takes care of her consumption of Vitamin B12. The unborn child’s brain and nerves need this vitamin to grow rapidly. Moreover, pregnant women are advised to take this vitamin B12 regularly, as preventing birth defects is one of the greatest vitamin B12 uses.

4. Improvement of Mood & Prevention of Depression

Vitamin B12 rich foods increase the chemical in the body which regulates our mood and prevents depression. It helps to metabolise and synthesise Serotonin, which is responsible for depression and mood swings.

5. Gives An Instant Energy Boost

Vitamin B12 benefits include producing energy in the body. Tiredness is one of the signs that there is a B complex deficiency in our body.

There are tons of other benefits B complex provides our bodies with. It helps to aid digestion, improve eyesight, helps in maintaining a good appetite, maintain the hormone level, and cardiovascular health.

However, just like other vitamins and minerals, excess vitamin B12 too can be harmful to our body. There are specific side effects B complex causes in our body if a healthy level of the vitamin is not maintained.

Side Effects of Vitamin B12

Though there is no denying that vitamin B12 sources should be taken regularly, however, in a lot of cases, there are some side effects B complex shows us if we are taking a higher quantity of this Vitamin.

Some of the side effects are –

1. High blood sugar levels in the body. 
2. Low blood pressure, headache, damage to the liver.
3. Diarrhoea and bleeding may also occur due to excess Vitamin B12 complex.
4. Excess Vitamin B12 intake orally may turn urine yellow, though this is a temporary effect.

Nonetheless, these are caused if excess of this Vitamin is taken; however, the deficiency can also cause weak bones, tiredness, hormonal imbalance, depression, mood swings, and a low red blood count level. Therefore, we need to understand that there are tons of Vitamin B12 sources, but choosing the correct amount is also essential. You definitely do not want to load your body with extra and excessive Vitamin, which it just can’t handle.

Conclusion

Through this blog, we have learned about the different vitamin B12 sources as well as their benefits and side effects. Incorporate these in your daily diet to avoid any vitamin B12 deficiencies. You can also consider consulting your nutritionist to get a better insight of how you can add the nutrient to your diet.