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Healthy Eating & Vitamin B12

What is vitamin B12?

Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin meaning it cannot be stored by the body because it is eliminated in urine (which is the nice scientific way of saying you get rid of it when you wee!).

We need a continuous daily supply of vitamin B12 in our diet. The recommended daily allowance of vitamin B12 is 1mcg and the recommended upper limit is 1000mcg. Deficiency is rare, but as vitamin B12 can only be obtained from animal sources (meat or dairy), vegans may be lacking in this particular vitamin.

Water-soluble vitamins like vitamin B12 are easily destroyed by the preparation and cooking of food. The best way to minimise this is to refrigerate fresh meat, and keep dairy products and grains away from strong direct light.

What can vitamin B12 do for me?

• Help maintain healthy nerve cells and red blood cells
• Can contribute to energy levels
• Can help maintain a healthy nervous system

What indicates a lack of vitamin B12?

• Anaemia
• Tiredness
• Lack of concentration
• Diarrhoea
• Sore tongue

Who particularly needs vitamin B12?

• Pregnant and breast-feeding women
• Over-55s
• Vegans

Foods rich in Vitamin B12

Food	Serving size	Cals	Amount	GDA (%)
Eggs	47g	69	0.6 mcg	60 %
Semi-skimmed milk	250ml	115	0.9 mcg	115 %
Chicken Liver	100g	190	1.1 mcg	2000 %
Turkey	90g	138	0.36 mcg	36 %
Cod	120g	115	1.2 mcg	120 %
Pork	120g	221	0.84 mcg	80 %

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