B12 & Milk

Milk is often touted as a good source of calcium, vitamin D and protein, but milk is also a natural source of vitamin B-12. Skim milk, reduced-fat milk and whole milk provide comparable nutrition, including vitamin B-12 content. The USDA recommends that adults consume 3 cups of fat-free or reduced-fat milk or equivalent milk products daily.

Identification

Vitamin B-12 occurs naturally in most animal products, including milk and other dairy products, according to the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Bound to protein in foods, vitamin B-12 is released and absorbed into the body after it comes in contact with hydrochloric acid in the stomach and combines with a protein called intrinsic factor, which is made by the stomach.

Function

Vitamin B-12 promotes nerve and blood cell health, assists in the production of DNA and helps prevent anemia, according to the NIH. You can easily get enough vitamin B-12 from your diet if you consume milk and other animal-derived foods. Even though vitamin B-12 is found primarily in animal products, lacto-vegetarians get enough of the vitamin by consuming milk and other dairy products, according to the American Dietetic Association.

Significance

Milk is a good source of vitamin B-12, providing .9 mcg per serving, according to the NIH. One cup of milk provides 15 percent of the daily value or DV, of 6.0 mcg, which is recommended by the Food and Drug Administration. The recommended dietary allowance, or RDA, for vitamin B-12 is 2.4 mcg, which represents the average intake level that sufficiently meets the nutrient needs of most healthy adults, according to the NIH.

Caution

Most people who eat a well-balanced diet get enough vitamin B-12 from food. However, vitamin B-12 deficiency occurs in up to 15 percent of the population and usually results from problems with absorption rather than dietary deficiencies, according to the NIH. Signs of vitamin B-12 deficiency include anemia, fatigue, weakness, constipation, weight loss and a decrease in appetite, according to the NIH.

Considerations

Although most people get enough vitamin B-12 without special effort, vegans need to be deliberate about consuming alternate sources of B-12 since their diets exclude milk and eggs. Fortified soy milk and other fortified foods such as cereal, nutritional yeast, meat substitutes and supplements can help vegans meet the nutrient requirement for vitamin B-12, according to the American Dietetic Association.

Those at a greater risk for vitamin B-12 deficiency include older adults with atrophic gastritis, individuals with pernicious anemia, those with gastrointestinal disorders, individuals who have had gastrointestinal surgery and strict vegetarians who consume no milk or other animal products, according to the NIH.