Vitamin B12 is an essential vitamin that your body can’t make on its own and because it plays a crucial role in helping the cells to protect the nerves, knowing the best sources of vitamin B12 that you can include in your diet is vital for your health and wellbeing.
Although those at risk need to ensure they are getting enough vitamin B12, everyone needs to include sources of vitamin B12 in their diet to keep levels up. Because B-vitamins are water soluble, the National Institute for Health has set a daily Nutrient Reference Value of 2.4 mcg for men and women who are not pregnant or breastfeeding.
Iron is important in making red blood cells, which carry oxygen around the body, whilst zinc helps our body make new cells and is important for wound healing. Selenium is needed for a healthy immune system. Helen Bond , registered dietician and spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association says that dairy foods, such as milk, yogurt and cheese also contain other nutrients. This includes calcium, which is “important for the maintenance of healthy bones and teeth”.
In fact, one egg contains 1.4 mcg of vitamin B12, which is around half of the NRV of vitamin B12. So a couple of eggs for breakfast would help provide your daily recommended amount of vitamin B12. “Salmon is a type of oily fish and one of the big benefits of oily fish is that it also contains long chain omega-3 fatty acids, which are really beneficial in terms of brain and heart health,” adds Bond, who says that fish is also a good source of protein and healthy fats.