Vitamin B12 is a component of the B group essential for our well-being that is introjected only through nutrition .
In regimes that provide for a limited amount of foods of animal origin or exclude them totally like the vegetarian and vegan ones, it is important to pay close attention and take care of their integration.
The functions of Vitamin B12
Vitamin B 12, also referred to as Cobalamin due to its atomic cobalt component ; it is a water-soluble vitamin that is not synthesized by our body and must necessarily be introduced from the outside .
Here are the main functions:
- Participates in the formation of red blood cells and their development
- Participates in the synthesis of DNA and RNA and the formation of white blood cells, for the strengthening of our immune system.
- Participates in the synthesis of myelin, a protective sheath of nervous structures
- Together with vitamin B9, it balances the levels of homocysteine, an amino acid present in the blood which, if in excess, can seriously damage our cardiovascular system
Where is Vitamin B12 located?
Foods and Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is contained in meat, fish, milk, dairy products and eggs ; some vegetables have traces of them, which can however be dispersed by washing and cooking; it is therefore important to integrate it if some protein elements have been eliminated from our diet.
On the market we can find supplements, generally of the B complex, in which in addition to vitamin B12 is also provided the vitamin B9 that we know as folic acid .
There are also foods enriched with vitamin B12, defined fortified, in which the added values are indicated.
Vitamin B12 requirement
Beyond vegetarians and vegans, there may be Vitamin B12 deficiency even in subjects who do not follow particular dietary regimens, simply because there are absorption problems due to pharmacological treatments in place or the lack of a protein that is produced by the stomach, essential for the synthesis and absorption of this important vitamin.
It is therefore always necessary to investigate with specific blood tests and contact your doctor for proper supplementation.
But what is the daily requirement of Vitamin B12? According to ministerial indications the daily quota is 2.5 micrograms (NRV).
In case of pregnancy or a deficiency in the elderly, medical consultation is recommended because the necessary doses could be higher.
