Vitamin B12 is one of several vitamins and minerals your body requires for optimal health and performance. In particular, the body uses vitamin B12 for regulating metabolism, to maintain the nervous system and to make red blood cells. Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin, but it differs from the others in that your body can store excess amounts of it in the liver for many years. Depending on your diet, some of the foods you eat are either natural or fortified dietary sources of vitamin B12.
Step 1
Familiarize yourself with the types of foods that are good natural sources of vitamin B12. For example, the vitamin can be found in many dairy products; several types of meat, shellfish and poultry; and eggs, according to MedlinePlus.
Step 2
Familiarize yourself with the types of foods that are fortified with vitamin B12. For example, many breakfast cereals are fortified with vitamin B12 and many other vitamins and minerals, the National Institute of Health Office of Dietary Supplements reports.
Step 3
Look up the foods you regularly eat on a nutrient database that includes foods' vitamin B12 content to see how much of the vitamin your diet contains. The U.S. Department of Agriculture maintains an expansive nutrient database on its website.
Step 4
Compare your daily intake of vitamin B12 with the recommended intake. The USDA recommends that babies receive 0.4 mcg to 0.5 mcg daily. Kids should consume between 0.9 mcg to 1.8 mcg, while adults should consume 2.4 mcg daily, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements.
Tips and Warnings
- Vitamin B12 deficiency causes a condition called megaloblastic or pernicious anemia. Signs of the condition include weakness, fatigue, weight loss, loss of appetite, tingling and numbness in the hands and feet, dementia, memory loss, confusion, and mouth and tongue soreness.
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