Why is Vitamin B12 so important?

This is found in food of animal origin, that is, meat, fish, eggs, milk and derivatives, etc. Therefore, if we do not eat these foods, there is no doubt that we must supplement our diet with vitamin B12, a nutrient that helps to keep neurons and blood cells healthy.

What if we follow a lacteal-ovo-vegetarian diet? What if I am vegan? What if I just eat fish from all animal proteins? We will give more information to help solve them. However, whenever there is any doubt, it is advisable to personally consult a collegiate to help us dispel them.

How much B12 is needed?

In 2010 the Spanish Federation of Nutrition, Food and Dietetics Societies (FESNAD) set the recommendations between 2 and 2.6 mcg dailys, depending on the stage of life. But later the European food safety authority EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) has established the recommended daily doses of vitamins B12 with 4 mcg in adults and adolescents over 15 years of age, 4.5 mcg in the case of pregnant women and 5 mcg when it comes to nursing mothers.

B12 in dairy and eggs

We already have the data of the daily dose, let's see what we can be ingesting daily. It is clear that if we do not eat foods of animal origin we are not taking only B12, and in the case of taking eggs or dairy products, let's see:

• An egg contains approximately 0.6 mcg.
• A glass of milk, between 0.45 and 0.8 mcg.
• A plain yogurt contains 0.37 mcg.
• Fresh cheese or cottage cheese (100 g): 0.6 mcg-0.8 mcg.
• Soft or aged cheese (100 g): 1.4 mcg-1.5 mcg.

By incorporating these foods we can cover the intake recommended by FESNAD, but we did not meet the recommendations of the EFSA. The fact is that there is a high prevalence of B12 deficits in both vegans and ovolacte-ovo-vegetarians, a fact that corroborates the need to supplement.

What if, in addition to eggs and dairy, I eat fish?

In this case it depends on how much fish is consumed, how often, what kind, the most advisable thing would be for a nutritionist to attend to your case, being able to estimate your weekly intake to be able to see whether or not you meet the recommendations. Now, to get an idea, here are some data:

• A serving of cod, 150 g, can contain between 2.5 mcg and 4 mcg.
• A can of tuna contains about 2.5 mcg.
• A serving of bonito, 150 g, provides approximately 4.5 mcg.
• A serving of hake, 150g, gives us around 1.5 mcg.
• A serving of salmon, 150 g, contains about 6 mcg.
• A serving of sardines, 150g, contains 16-17mcg.
• A serving of monkfish, 150g, contains 0.15 mcg.

As can be seen, the B12 composition of different types of fish is highly variable, so if we do not eat meat or derivatives and eat some fish a week, eggs and some dairy products, before assuming that by not carrying a vegan diet or strictly ovolacteovegetarian we will not need B12, it is preferable in each case to ensure that our intake of B12 is sufficient.

Food supplements

It is logical to think that to make sure we are well nourished and be able to detect any nutritional deficiency, it is enough to carry out a full analytics, but in the case of B12 it is not so simple, especially if we also take supplements or foods that contain B12 analogues and can mask a possible deficiency of this vitamin.

What supplement should we NOT take?

Before indicating which supplement we should take, I would like to make it clear what we should not take with the aim of meet our B12 needs. We should not take any food of plant origin supplemented thinking that it is a reliable source of B12.

As a plant food I include the spirulina alga that is often offered in capsules for this purpose but that actually contains B12 analogues, that is, chemically similar molecules but that do not fulfill the same function and could also interfere with the mechanism of B12 and give ourselves the false impression that we are taking something that is going well for us. Also, we must remember that algae like spirulina are rich in pollutants and its frequent and repeated consumption is not recommended. Neither are brewer's yeast nor fermented products a good source of B12.

What supplement DO we need to take?

Now, in order to avoid a lack of vitamin B12 we must take supplements of cyanocobalamin. It is the most stable chemical form and resistant to light, changes in temperature and pH. It is the most studied form as a supplement and is not considered to have a toxic dose, but is safe at high doses. In people with deficits, pathologies or specific problems that justify it, the methylcobalamin, but in this case always under medical advice.

There are also foods supplemented with B12, such as vegetable drinks, cereals, etc. but except that we almost reach the RDI with our diet, achieving the recommended doses based on supplemented foods is not the best idea, since it is, in most cases, processed products, which in addition to the positive part of being supplemented in B12 they possibly contain other less interesting things, such as too many sugars, not recommended fats, etc., which is why their consumption on a regular basis is not recommended.

Why do supplements contain so much B12?

In supplements we can see that the amount of B12 that we end up taking is much higher than the recommended daily intake, this happens because the absorption of B12 is greater when we take this vitamin in small amounts and instead less amount is absorbed in the case that the dose we take is higher. That is to say, B12 absorption is indirectly proportional to dose size.

Therefore, if we supplement with a weekly pill, we will not take the daily dose multiplied by seven, but much more, since much of it will not be absorbed. Even a daily pill will also have more than the RDI (recommended daily intake) since the RDI is calculated with the food intake, in which several small intakes are made during the day.

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What you should know:

• The vegan or lacteal-ovo-vegetarian diet can be perfectly healthy if we make the right food choices and take vitamin B12 supplements.
• The safest and most recommended way to supplement vitamin B12 is with tablets of cyanocobalamin.
• Capsules spirulin algaea or other plant products that are marketed with the purpose of supplementing the vegetarian diet in B12 are not considered adequate and can lead to error in the results of an analysis.

Bachelor of Food Science and Technology Diploma in Human Nutrition and Dietetics