What is vitamin B12?
Vitamin B12, also called cobalamin, is one of the 8 B vitamins. B vitamins play an essential role in cell metabolism. B12 is a water-soluble vitamin (i.e. soluble in water). Its integrity therefore depends on how it is consumed. A food containing vitamin B12 cooked in water will have its B12 content considerably reduced. The body stores this vitamin mainly in the liver, but also in the pancreas, the heart and the brain.
Foods rich in vitamin B12.
As our body is not capable of synthesizing it on its own, vitamin B12 must be supplied through food. Vitamin B12 has the particularity of coming exclusively from products of animal origin.
VITAMIN B12 CONTENTS PER 100 GRAMS.
|
At a time when more and more people are choosing to adopt a diet without animal products, the question of vitamin B12 is becoming essential. People following a vegan or plant-based diet are advised to supplement with vitamin B12 through food supplements or industrially fortified foods. Although less restrictive, the vegetarian diet is also low in B12. This is why vegetarians are also advised to use food supplements in order to prevent any vitamin deficiency. At Feed., we use, depending on the recipes, cyanocobalamin, methylcobalamin or adenosylcobalamin. The industrial synthesis of vitamin B12 comes from bacterial cultures or the fermentation of microorganisms.
The roles of vitamin B12 in the body.
Vitamin B12 plays several important roles, particularly in the nervous system, nucleic acid synthesis and blood coagulation.
- Nervous system: it is essential for the proper functioning of the brain and the nervous system because it allows the maintenance of the integrity of the myelin sheath (envelope covering the neurons) and participates in the formation and protection of nerve cells.
- Nucleic acid synthesis: Vitamin B12 is essential for DNA synthesis and cell renewal.
- Blood coagulation: vitamin B12 is anti-anemic, that is to say it participates in the formation of red blood cells. In this sense, it plays a crucial role in the prevention of megaloblastic anemia (depletion of the blood in red blood cells).
How much vitamin B12 do you need?
ANSES recommends a daily vitamin B12 intake of 2.5 micrograms per day for an adult. Pregnant, breastfeeding women and the elderly may more easily be subject to vitamin deficiency and will have slightly higher needs (2.6 to 3 micrograms/day). It is particularly important for women eating a vegetarian or vegan diet during pregnancy and breastfeeding to ensure sufficient vitamin B12 intake through diet or supplementation.
What happens when you lack vitamin B12?
A vitamin B12 deficiency can cause nervous disorders, anemia, digestive problems and inflammation of the tongue. Symptoms may be:
- Nervous disorders: irritability, depression, coordination problems, memory problems, extreme fatigue.
- Anemia: B12 deficiency anemia is a Biermer type anemia, characterized by red blood cells greatly increased in size which results in chronic fatigue.
- Digestive problems: weight loss, oral or intestinal inflammation and sometimes constipation or diarrhea.
However, as the body builds up reserves throughout its life, it can take a long period before the reserves are used up and therefore before symptoms appear. Vitamin B12 deficiencies are rare and mainly affect vegetarians, vegans and people who have undergone ablative surgery (this type of medical procedure can have an impact on the assimilation of this vitamin by the body).
In summary.
Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin only found in foods of animal origin. It plays a role in the nervous system, in the synthesis of nucleic acids and in blood coagulation. ANSES recommends an intake of 2.5 micrograms per day with particular attention to pregnant, breastfeeding women, the elderly and people following vegetarian/vegan diets.
