


  • Organ meats (beef liver)
  • Shellfish (clams)
  • Meat, poultry, eggs, milk and other dairy foods
  • Some breakfast cereals and nutritional yeasts



Some of the health benefits Vitamin B12 provides are:

  1. Protects your heart

One of the main causes of death is heart disease, and studies have shown that Vitamin B12 is beneficial for your heart, as it reduces the levels of homocysteine in your blood, thus preventing the condition.

  1. Prevents nerve damage

The vitamin is capable of replenishing the myelin sheath of the nerves, which protects them from all sorts of damage.

  1. Important for your bones

Studies have shown that people that suffer from osteoporosis have low vitamin B12 levels but high levels of homocysteine in their blood.

  1. Boosts your energy levels

Vitamin B12 helps boost your energy levels and is crucial for your metabolism, as it converts carbs into usable energy, which is why people who lack the vitamin experience fatigue.

Primary Signs of Vitamin B12 Deficiency

  1. Anemia

Vitamin B12 helps the formation of erythrocytes, which are oxygen-carrying cells. Lacking the vitamin can result in a condition called anemia where the muscles and the heart don’t receive as much oxygen as they need to function properly, and the individual experiences fatigue.

  1. Numbness in the head and feet

Low oxygen levels in the body caused by the deficiency of vitamin B12 can lead to numbness in the feet and head.

  1. Fatigue

One of the main symptoms of most vitamin deficiencies, especially vitamin B12, is fatigue, and it occurs due to low levels of oxygen in the cells, which makes you feel tired and sleepy.

  1. Swollen and inflamed tongue

Another common symptom of a lack of vitamin B12 is a loss of little bumps on the tongue known as papillae, which happen to be responsible for our taste. Losing these little taste buds means that you lose the sensation of taste.