How to get enough vitamin B12 without eating meat! Get your B12 the natural way

 

Vegetarian diets remain popular nowadays, and many people who want to eat less meat are searching for alternatives to animal products. Vegetarians have lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and heart disease risks compared to meat-eaters, which is linked to a lower risk for heart disease and some types of cancer, considers Harvard Health.

Unfortunately, an unbalanced vegetarian diet can lead to nutritional deficiencies, including vitamin B12, which not only is essential for healthy brain function but also becomes increasingly difficult to absorb as we age. In addition, certain drugs can cause B12 deficiency, as can weight loss surgery and digestive disorders. The symptoms of B12 deficiency include fatigue, nausea, muscle weakness, and tingling in the hands and feet. Other symptoms include forgetfulness and anxiety, a paler complexion, and blurred vision.

When you suspect that you lack this important vitamin, visit your doctor, and get a blood test done. Then, compensate your diet to make sure you get enough Vitamin B12. It is also important for maintaining your immune system, and it is involved in metabolism, DNA synthesis, and red blood cell (RBCs) production. Unless your plant foods are fortified with B12, you may need to supplement your diet because B12 is largely found in meat and other animal products. However, you can try eating these 7 foods to get more B12 from natural sources:

1.     Cow's milk

A glass of cow's milk contains nearly 50% of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin B12 for adults and children over the age of 13 years old (2.4 mg/day) as stated by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (2010).  If you consume it with fortified cereal, you have plenty of B12.

2.     Cereals fortified with vitamin B12

Choose a high-fiber, low-sugar cereal like oats, muesli, or granola to start your day. The label should indicate whether the product contains 100% of your daily recommended allowance (RDA) of B12. If it does, you should receive at least 2.4 micrograms of B12. When you don't like cereal for breakfast, you can keep a cup in a small container for snacks on the go, or you can enjoy it as a snack at night.  

 

3.     Eggs

Eggs are often considered a complete meal. Eggs provide a portion of high-quality protein and 0.6 micrograms of this essential vitamin. Nevertheless, don't limit your egg consumption to the whites alone, because B12 is found in the yolk. Adding scrambled eggs to vegetables or slicing hard-boiled eggs over a salad is the best way to consume a whole egg and maintain taste.

 

4.     Beetroot

Beetroot is becoming more popular as a superfood. Research by Abdo et al. suggests that fortifying orange juice with beetroot leaves and stems enhances the Vitamin B content of native juice by several folds. Particularly, vitamin B12 and folate contents were found to be elevated, which play a crucial role in maintaining human health. Additionally, these vitamins are essential to the elderly, who lack vitamin B12 absorption. 

5.     Shiitake mushrooms

Several dried fungi include significant levels of B12, including dried shiitake mushrooms. It would be difficult to meet the RDA for B12 by eating only shiitakes, but some are better than none. Shiitakes are a good source of vitamin B12 if consumed with other sources. You can add them to salads, eggs, wraps, sauces, and stuffing.

6.     Edible Algae

Vitamin B12 is found in substantial amounts in edible algae. In dried Korean purple laver (Porphyra sp. ), Vitamin B12 amounts are substantial (133.8  μg/100 g dry weight), however, seasoned and toasted laver products contain slightly less (approximately 51.7  μg/100 g dry weight).

7.     Fermented soybeans

Beans are low in Vitamin B12 content or not detectable. It has been found that a fermented soybean-based food called Tempe contains a significant amount of Vitamin B12 (0.7–8.0 μg/100 g). Vitamin B12 content of Tempe

may be boosted by bacterial contamination during production. Vitamin B12 is present in minute amounts in other fermented soybean products.

Final words

Unbalanced vegetarian diets can lead to nutritional deficiencies, such as vitamin B12. Taking certain medications and having weight loss surgery or digestive disorders can result in B12 deficiency. Unless your plant foods are fortified with B12, you may need to supplement your diet. Try eating these 7 foods to get more B12 from a natural source. Eggs provide a portion of high-quality protein and 0.6 micrograms of this essential vitamin. Fortified your breakfast by consuming cereals rich in B12 along with cow milk. Shiitake mushrooms are another good source of vitamin B12 if consumed with other sources. Edible algae and fermented soybean products contain substantial amounts of Vitamin B12.