Vitamin B12 is found in meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, yeast extract and specially fortified foods. Risk factors for vitamin B12 deficiency include decreased ability to absorb this vitamin due to low excretion of hydrochloric acid, certain medications or gastrointestinal diseases, and as a result of surgery.
Vegans are also at risk, as B12 is only found in animal products. Vitamin B12 deficiency can be identified based on your symptoms and blood test results.
B6 is known as the sun’s vitamin, and vitamin D is produced by the body in response to skin exposure to sunlight. A healthy adult should consume 5 μg of vitamin D daily with food or dietary supplements. Many people do not get enough of this important vitamin because they live in places where sunlight is limited in winter, or because they have limited sun exposure.
It also occurs naturally in fish, fish liver oils and egg yolks. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin. To measure how much vitamin D is in your body, with a 25-hydroxy vitamin D blood test.
Folate; the best sources of folate are green vegetables such as spinach or asparagus, legumes like soy or beans, as well as some meat, especially liver.
Iodine; Seafood, eggs, milk and dairy products are among the best sources of iodine. Vegans, people with certain food allergies or lactose intolerance, and others who do not consume these foods or take them only in minimal amounts, may not get enough iodine.
Iodine deficiency is a global problem with an estimated two billion people affected. To prevent iodine deficiency, some countries add iodine to salt, bread, or drinking water.
How do you know if your iodine levels are definitely low? With a simple urine test.
Vitamin K is abundant in green leafy vegetables and vitamin K2 in fermented legumes, oils and fatty foods of animal origin such as egg yolk, liver and cheese.
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