Contents:
- Medical Video: Vitamin Advice : How to Prevent Vitamin B12 Deficiency
- What is anemia related to folic acid deficiency?
- What foods contain folic acid?
- What is vitamin B12 deficiency?
- What is pernicious anemia?
- Foods that contain vitamin B12
Medical Video: Vitamin Advice : How to Prevent Vitamin B12 Deficiency
There are various factors that can cause anemia and one of them is iron deficiency. Anemia means:
- You have fewer red cells than usual, OR
- You have less than normal hemoglobin in every red blood cell.
In both cases, this causes a reduction in the amount of oxygen carried in the bloodstream. This can cause symptoms of fatigue, irritability, fainting and shortness of breath. Other symptoms that can occur, depending on the cause of anemia.
What is anemia related to folic acid deficiency?
Lack of folic acid (folate) is one of the causes of anemia. The usual cause is not enough to eat foods that contain folic acid. This condition is treated easily by taking folic acid tablets. Pregnant women should also consume additional folic acid to help prevent spina bifida and other related problems in infants.
Folic acid is a vitamin and is needed to make new cells in the body, including red blood cells. The body does not store a lot of folic acid. You need to supply fresh folic acid regularly to stay healthy. A normal balanced diet that contains enough folic acid. However, a lack of folic acid will cause anemia and other symptoms.
What foods contain folic acid?
We need about 200 micrograms per day of folic acid. However, during pregnancy, an additional 400 micrograms is needed, especially for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. This addition is usually in the form of supplements, because it is difficult to get the amount needed through food alone.
Good sources of folic acid include:
- Fresh, raw or cooked Brussels sprouts, asparagus, spinach, kale, broccoli, spring seeds, green beans, cabbage, cauliflower, okra, lettuce, turnips, peas, bean sprouts.
- Cooked black beans and beans.
- Breakfast cereal (with folic acid added to cereal).
- Heart (note, pregnant women must avoid heart).
- Kidney, yeast and beef extract.
- To make sure you get the amount of folic acid you need, set it to include 2-3 servings of that source every day.
- The moderate amount of folic acid is also contained in foods such as fresh fruits, nuts, cheese, yogurt, milk, potatoes, bread, brown rice, oats, eggs, salmon and beef.
Other tips:
- Try not to cook too long foods that contain folic acid. Steam, saute or microwave vegetables to prevent them from losing too much folic acid.
- If you lack vitamin B12, this can interfere with folic acid absorption and the way it is used in the body.
What is vitamin B12 deficiency?
Vitamin B12 is very important for life. This substance is needed to make new cells in the body like many new red blood cells are made every day. A normal balanced diet contains enough vitamin B12. Lack of vitamin B12 causes anemia and sometimes other problems such as nerve damage and heart disease.
Vitamin B12 deficiency from vitamin B12 deficiency from food is rare. Vitamin B12 is found in foods such as meat, fish, cheese, milk and eggs. This vitamin is generally not found in plant foods, so people who follow a vegan diet or have a poor diet for a long time are at significant risk. Long-term deficiency can cause pernicious anemia.
What is pernicious anemia?
Usually, when you eat foods with vitamin B12, vitamins bind to proteins called intrinsic factors in the stomach. The combined vitamin B12 / intrinsic factor is then absorbed into the body of the lower intestine at the end of the small intestine. (Intrinsic factor is made by cells in the stomach lining and is needed for absorption of vitamin B12.)
Pernicious anemia is the most common cause of vitamin B12 deficiency. This is classified as an autoimmune disease. The immune system usually makes antibodies to attack bacteria, viruses and other germs. If you have an autoimmune disease, your immune system makes antibodies to certain tissues of your body. If you have pernicious anemia, the antibodies that form attack your intrinsic factor or fight the cells in your stomach that make intrinsic factors. This stops the intrinsic factor from binding to vitamin B12, and vitamins cannot be absorbed into your body. If you have pernicious anemia, you will need a vitamin B12 injection.
Foods that contain vitamin B12
The following foods are good sources of vitamin B12. Eating these foods regularly in your diet can help prevent vitamin B12 deficiency:
- Liver (note pregnant women should avoid liver disease).
- Meat - for example, beef, lamb, pork.
- Breakfast cereal.
- Oat products, rice and soy milk.
- Soy yogurt products.
- Jam products.
- Yeast extract products.
If you are vegetarian, try to include foods fortified with vitamin B12 at least three times a day. If this food is not consumed in sufficient quantities, it is recommended to take 10 B micrograms of vitamin B12 per day.
