Diet gun

Vitamin B12 (also known as cobalamin) is a water-soluble vitamin involved in the metabolism of every cell in the human body, especially in the formation of red blood cells, the functioning of the nervous system, and the synthesis of DNA.

Vitamin B12 is found ONLY in foods of animal origin and its absorption depends on the gastric intrinsic factor, in the absence of which vitamin B12 cannot be absorbed, resulting in pernicious anemia with symptoms of fatigue, weakness, weight loss, anorexia, constipation, nervous disorders, instability, and depression.

Because vitamin B12 is obtained from animal foods such as meat, fish, eggs and dairy products, its deficiency can be observed in vegans and in people with anorexia nervosa (due to reduced food intake), in a possible lack of endogenous factor due to atrophic gastritis or gastrectomy, in celiac disease, in Crohn’s disease, in bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine or in resection of the terminal ileum.

The recommended daily amount of vitamin B-12 for adults is 2.4 mcg and good sources are:

beef liver with 18.7 mcg/100gr.

veal/beef with 1.5 mcg/100gr.

sardines with 8.9 mcg/100gr.

salmon with 5.6 mcg/100gr.

tuna with 2.9 mcg/100gr.

clams with 99 mcg/100gr. (the food with the most B12)

oysters with 25.6 mcg/100gr.

mussels with 24 mcg/100gr.

cod with 2.1 mcg/100gr.

milk and yogurt with about 1.3 mcg/250 ml
cheese with 0,8 – 0,9 mcg/100gr.

egg with 0.6 – 0.8 mcg/1 egg

B12 and Vegan

In a strict vegetarian diet it is certain that there is a lack of vitamin B12 in the body and we should definitely take it in the form of a supplement or even in injectable form, if the deficiency is particularly great, to rule out the existence of pernicious anemia that usually appears after 1 to 2 years of a purely vegetarian diet.

B12 and Athletes

B12 contributes to the synthesis of red blood cells and therefore to the transport of oxygen to the cells, resulting in its sufficiency in the body to slow down fatigue and the possible appearance of weakness. During prolonged periods of training before competitions, it may be necessary to take a vitamin B12 supplement to ensure that we always have sufficiency in our body for better transport of oxygen to the cells.