The human body needs 5 kinds of nutrients to function normally. These are mostly divided into five categories, such as fat, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals, and roughage or fiber. Different nutrients offer different benefits to the human body. And each of them needs to be consumed in the required quantity, to ensure good health. Vitamin B12 is an important nutrient that performs numerous functions in the body.
What Is Vitamin B12?
Vitamin B12 is one of the essential vitamins needed by the human body for its daily processes and work. It is water soluble and is also known as cobalamin.
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Vitamin B12 And Its Role In Human Body
The human body is a complex system of many organs and systems, which work in tandem. Each cell in the body works to make it a highly effective individual unit. Vitamin B12 plays an important role in:
- Cellular level metabolism helps cell division.
- Plays an important and major role in the synthesis and regulation of DNA in the human body.
- Plays a major and essential role in the synthesis of fatty acids in the body.
- An important role in blood cell formation in the body.
- Required for normal work and functioning of the nervous system and the human brain
- Normal functioning and maintenance of the nervous system.
Some symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency include tiredness, lightheadedness, pale skin, heart palpitations, diarrhea, vision issues, muscle weakness, and mental issues like depression or memory loss.
Sources Of Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is rarely found in nature in its true form, where it does exist. It is due to the contamination of naturally occurring vitamins by bacteria. It is found mostly in animal foods like dairy, meat, eggs, etc. However, if you are a vegetarian like the majority of Indians, you would need to include diverse sources of Vitamin B12 In your diet.
- Vitamin B12 is naturally present in soy milk and related products.
- Vitamin B12 is also found in meat and other non-veg foods, and these should be added to daily food intake to ensure the vital level of Vitamin B12 is supplied to the body.
- Many of the sources of Vitamin B12 are seafood like shellfish, mackerel fish, sardines, tuna, salmon, cod, shrimp, scallops, crab, and red meat.
- One should also consume foods like tofu or soy products for optimum levels of B12.
- Skimmed milk is also a rich source of Vitamin B12 and so are cheese and eggs. In short, all milk products provide the required levels of Vitamin B12 to the human body. It is also found in sufficient quantities in cow’s milk and mushrooms as well.
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The following breakfast cereals have a high amount of Vitamin B12. These numbers are per serving of 100 g of the cereal.
- Malt-O-Meal High Fiber Bran Flakes: Contains 8.2 mcg of Vit B12.
- Kellogg’s Corn Flakes: contains 2.7 mcg of Vit B12.
- General Mills, Total Corn Flakes: Contains 6 mcg of Vit B12.
- Kellogg’s All-Bran With Extra Fiber: Contains 24 mcg of Vit B12.
- General Mills Multi Grain Cheerios: Contains 21 mcg of Vit B12.
- Kellogg’s Complete Oat Bran Flakes: Contains 20 mcg of Vit B12.
- Kashi Heart to Heart Honey Toasted Oats: Contains 18 mcg of Vit B12.
- Kashi Heart to Heart Instant Oatmeal, Apple Cinnamon, Dry: Contains 11 mcg of Vit B12.
- Kellogg’s Low Fat Granola without Raisins: Contains 12 mcg of Vit B12.
One of the important B complex vitamins, vitamin B12 aids in the functioning of your body. It plays an important role in the formation of new cells, fatty acids, DNA, and red blood cells. It is crucial in maintaining and functioning of the nervous system and the brain. Vitamin B2 must therefore be included in a healthy diet.