Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Vitamin B12
Why do we need B12?
It's necessary to maintain healthy nerves, red blood cells, and to metabolize protein. Your body needs about 2.4 mcg of B12 a day, and since your body can store several years' worth of this vitamin, a deficiency is rare unless you're not getting it in your diet.
So how much vitamin B12 is found in the foods you eat?
| Food | Amount | Amount of B12 |
| Chicken breast | 1 piece | .6 mcg |
| Turkey (dark meat) | 3 ounces | .3 mcg |
| Shellfish | 3 ounces | 84 mcg (whoa!) |
| Shrimp | 3 ounces | 1 mcg |
| Trout | 3 ounces | 5.4 mcg |
| Haddock | 3 ounces | 1.2 mcg |
| Tuna | 3 ounces | 1 mcg |
| Pork | 3 ounces | .6 mcg |
| Beef | 3 ounces | 2.4 mcg |
| Plain yogurt | 1 cup | 1.4 mcg |
| Milk | 1 cup | .9 mcg |
| Cheddar cheese | 1 ounce | .2 mcg |
| Egg | 1 whole | .6 mcg |
| Red Star nutritional yeast | 1 tbsp | 4 mcg |
| Fortified cereal | 1/2 cup | 2.4 mcg |
| Fortified soy milk | 1 cup | 1.2 mcg |
| Tempeh | 1 cup | .1 mcg |
Fit's Tips: As you can see, most of the sources of vitamin B12 come from animals, so if you're vegan, it may be a good idea to pick up some B12 supplements.
Labels: vitamin B12
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