Can you get Vitamin B12 from fruit? Here is the truth

 

Vitamin B12 is a nutrient that helps keep the body’s nerve and blood cells healthy and helps make DNA, the genetic material in all cells.

Additionally, Vitamin B12 helps prevent megaloblastic anemia, a blood condition that makes people tired and weak, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the US.

Most people in the United States get enough vitamin B12 from the foods they eat. However, some people have trouble absorbing vitamin B12 from food. The process of absorbing vitamin B12 from food involves two steps.

First, hydrochloric acid in the stomach separates vitamin B12 from the protein to which it is attached. Second, the released vitamin B12 combines with a protein made by the stomach, called intrinsic factor, so the body can absorb them together.

What foods provide Vitamin B12?

Vitamin B12 is found naturally in a wide variety of animal foods and is added to some fortified foods by manufacturers. It is worth noting that plant foods do not contain vitamin B12 unless they are fortified, meaning it is not available in fruits and vegetables. You can get recommended amounts of vitamin B12 by eating a variety of foods, including:

Fish, meat, poultry, eggs, milk, and other dairy products, which contain vitamin B12. Clams and beef liver are among the best sources of vitamin B12.

Some breakfast cereals, nutritional yeasts, and other food products that are fortified with vitamin B12.

What happens if the body does not get enough Vitamin B12?

The body stores 1,000 to 2,000 times as much vitamin B12 as a person typically eats in a day. Therefore, symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency can take several years to appear.

If you have a vitamin B12 deficiency, you may feel tired or weak. These symptoms are a hallmark of megaloblastic anemia, a condition closely linked to a shortage of this vitamin.

Some people may also experience pale skin, heart palpitations, loss of appetite, weight loss, and infertility. Others might feel numbness or tingling in the hands and feet, which is a sign of nerve problems. Other symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency include problems with balance, depression, confusion, dementia, poor memory, and soreness of the mouth or tongue.

In infants, signs of a vitamin B12 deficiency include failure to thrive, delays in reaching normal developmental milestones, and megaloblastic anemia.

Because a vitamin B12 deficiency can cause nerve damage even in people who do not have megaloblastic anemia, it is crucial to treat a deficiency as soon as possible.