Vitamin B-12: Better As a Liquid
Recently Vitamin B12 has been all over the news with recent studies being released about the effectiveness of vitamin b12 and how good it is for your overall health. Even Dr. Oz has gotten in on the fun by recommending vitamin B12 supplementation.
Also known as Vitamin B12 or vitamin B-12, B12 is a water soluble vitamin that has an important role in the normal function of your body and brain.
Why do you need B12? What is B12 good for?
B12 has a key role in the normal functioning of the brain, nervous system, and for the formation of blood. Vitamin B-12 is said to be involved in the metabolism of every cell in the body. B12 is said to be good for energy production as well as proper DNA synthesis.
Vitamin B12 has been said to be good for eyesight, growth, appetite and taste. Some signs of B12 deficiency is night-blindness.
Where can you find B12?
Vitamin B-12 is one of eight different B vitamins and can normally be found in B vitamin complexes (although it is usually in small amounts). It can be found in clams, liver, beef, fortified breakfast cereals, trout, salmon, Tuna fish, eggs, beef, milk, chicken, and many more.
The nih.gov website shows this table for the selected food sources of Vitamin B12
Table 2: Selected Food Sources of Vitamin B12
| Food |
Micrograms (mcg)
per serving |
Percent DV*
|
| Clams, cooked, 3 ounces |
84.1 |
1,402 |
| Liver, beef, cooked, 3 ounces |
70.7 |
1,178 |
| Breakfast cereals, fortified with 100% of the DV for vitamin B12, 1 serving |
6.0 |
100 |
| Trout, rainbow, wild, cooked, 3 ounces |
5.4 |
90 |
| Salmon, sockeye, cooked, 3 ounces |
4.8 |
80 |
| Trout, rainbow, farmed, cooked, 3 ounces |
3.5 |
58 |
| Tuna fish, light, canned in water, 3 ounces |
2.5 |
42 |
| Cheeseburger, double patty and bun, 1 sandwich |
2.1 |
35 |
| Haddock, cooked, 3 ounces |
1.8 |
30 |
| Breakfast cereals, fortified with 25% of the DV for vitamin B12, 1 serving |
1.5 |
25 |
| Beef, top sirloin, broiled, 3 ounces |
1.4 |
23 |
| Milk, low-fat, 1 cup |
1.2 |
18 |
| Yogurt, fruit, low-fat, 8 ounces |
1.1 |
18 |
| Cheese, Swiss, 1 ounce |
0.9 |
15 |
| Beef taco, 1 soft taco |
0.9 |
15 |
| Ham, cured, roasted, 3 ounces |
0.6 |
10 |
| Egg, whole, hard boiled, 1 large |
0.6 |
10 |
| Chicken, breast meat, roasted, 3 ounces |
0.3 |
5 |
*DV = Daily Value. DVs were developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to help consumers determine the level of various nutrients in a standard serving of food in relation to their approximate requirement for it. The DV for vitamin B12 is 6.0 mcg. However, the FDA does not require food labels to list vitamin B12 content unless a food has been fortified with this nutrient. Foods providing 20% or more of the DV are considered to be high sources of a nutrient, but foods providing lower percentages of the DV also contribute to a healthful diet. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Nutrient Database Web site lists the nutrient content of many foods and provides a comprehensive list of foods containing vitamin B12.
What is the best form of B12?
Cyanocobalamin is a common synthetic form of Vitamin B12 that is not found in nature. It is very stable in water and is generally a cheaper form of vitamin B12. Methylcobalamin is known as the higher grade of Vitamin B-12.
What is the RDI of B12?
The dietary reference intake or recommended daily intake of B12 for adults ranges between 2-3 micrograms per day. The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for B12 in pregnant women is 2.6 micrograms per day and 2.8 micrograms during lactation.
Vegans and Vegetarians are recommended to consistently eat foods that are fortified in Vitamin B-12 or supplement with dietary supplements.
According to ods.od.nih.gov
| Table 1: Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for Vitamin B12 | ||||
|
Age |
Male |
Female |
Pregnancy |
Lactation |
| 0–6 months* |
0.4 mcg |
0.4 mcg |
||
| 7–12 months* |
0.5 mcg |
0.5 mcg |
||
| 1–3 years |
0.9 mcg |
0.9 mcg |
||
| 4–8 years |
1.2 mcg |
1.2 mcg |
||
| 9–13 years |
1.8 mcg |
1.8 mcg |
||
| 14+ years |
2.4 mcg |
2.4 mcg |
2.6 mcg |
2.8 mcg |
* Adequate Intake
Products from Liquid Health with B12:
Liquid Health Drops – Vitamin B12 Methylcobalamin
Liquid Health Attention
Liquid Health Energy & Stress, liquid vitamin B Complex