So, you think you’re getting enough vitamin B12 in one day? If you’re one of many who suffer from vitamin B12 malabsorption, then you need upwards from 1000 micrograms of B12 each week. Sounds easy? Guess again.
Vitamin B12 deficiency epidemic
Vitamin B12 occurs only in animal-based foods such as beef, chicken, fish, and dairy products like cheese and eggs. If you’re a vegan, then it’s time to start taking vitamin B12 supplements, in order to prevent vitamin B12 deficiency, a condition that back in the 20s was a fatal disease known as pernicious anemia.
Scary stuff.
These days, vitamin B12 deficiency is still epidemic, though not as pernicious as it used to be. Still, many people are at risk for permanent nerve damage resulting from long-term vitamin B12 deficiency, so it’s a good idea to make sure you’re getting enough into your blood supply.
The reason for the epidemic is simple– these days, there exist more factors that lead to vitamin B12 malabsorption than ever before. Your ability to digest and use vitamin B12 from foods diminishes exponentially with each risk factor.
B12 deficiency risk factors include:
- Family history for pernicious anemia
- Family history for autoimmune disease
- Gastritis or other damage to the stomach
- Gastrointestinal illnesses such as Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis or GERD
- Lupus
- Fibromyalgia
- Alcoholism
- Bariatric surgery, such as gastric bypass
- Vegan dieting
- Migraine
- Medications for diabetes, acid reflux, depression, and birth control
Foods with vitamin B12
If you’re not able to digest vitamin B12 from foods, then doctors recommend anywhere between 1000 to 3000 micrograms of vitamin B12 each week in order to prevent deficiency and start feeling better.
How much is that? Our infographic gives you an idea- to get just 1000 micrograms of vitamin B12, you would have to eat 11 servings of clam chowder…14 plates of fried liver with onions…or 17 sushi rolls of fish eggs.
Though beef is touted as one of the best sources of vitamin B12, you would actually need to eat 80 servings of beefsteak to get even close to the amount of vitamin B12 you would need to get your B12 levels back to normal.
That’s why it’s so important to take your vitamin B12 supplements, if you are experiencing even mild to medium symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency.
Your life and your health depend on it. Take as much vitamin B12 as you feel that you need until symptoms of tiredness, sadness, sluggishness, and memory problems disappear.
There is no danger of overdose with vitamin B12, so it’s perfectly safe to take more than you think you’ll need, to be on the safe side.
Here is our free infographic:
Infographic by Vita Sciences and the Vitamin B12 Patch
Download this infographic.