B12 is the most important, water-soluble vitamin of group B. It easily accumulates in the liver, lungs, kidneys and spleen.
Cobalamin (as scientists call B12 due to the presence of cobalt in it) provides a good mood, strong nerves, energy, a clear memory, uninterrupted heart function and much more. If there are problems with any of the above, then you should reconsider your diet.
What foods contain vitamin B12
B12 is produced by microorganisms in environmentally friendly water and soil. Animals that consume this water and grass with sand grains of the earth, bring beneficial bacteria into their body, and vitamin begins to be produced in their digestive tract. In the liver, it accumulates. Plant food is also capable of producing this organic composition vital for health, but in insufficient quantities and at the same time it is poorly preserved. So meat, eggs, fish, shellfish and dairy products are almost the only natural sources of this vitamin. By the way, B12 is also produced in the human body. But it is absorbed in such a small amount that you have to get it with food. Fortunately, products containing B12 are always available.
Meat is a leader in the supply of cyanocobalamin. They are especially rich in beef and calf liver. Each pregnant woman is shown these products, because B12 protects the fetus. A lot of this substance in the kidneys of animals, lamb, pork and game.
Seafood is also very valuable due to the high content of this rare vitamin. Great sources of B12 are perch, salmon, halibut, sardines, cod, scallops, caviar and shrimp. With anemia, doctors usually recommend that their patients arrange "fish days."
As for dairy production, cobalamin is present in any of its products. Absolute record holders in this regard are feta cheese, cottage cheese and cheeses of fatty varieties. But even by drinking two glasses of milk a day, you can replenish the daily intake of vitamin B12.
Vegetable foods that can provide cobalamin include spinach, green onions, Beijing cabbage, beans, blue-green algae, kelp, brewer's yeast, sprouted wheat, nuts, and soy derivatives. You can also eat unwashed vegetables and fruits, because they contain valuable bacteria capable of producing the treasured composition. In an apple, for example, B12 is concentrated in the cuttings. Therefore, before throwing, it should be chewed carefully.
Muesli and breakfast cereals enriched with vitamins also perfectly cope with the task of replenishing the daily dose of cobalamin. Poured with milk, they are especially useful.
Vitamin B12 and the products in which it is contained, in the matter of storage
About how to handle products containing vitamin B12, says Professor, Head of the Laboratory of Vitamins and Minerals, Vera Kodentsova:
1. Do not re-freeze meat and fish. So they lose a lot of useful substances. They must be defrosted very slowly - in cold water or on a refrigerator shelf. A sharp temperature drop will destroy all the vitamins.
2. Fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs lose the B vitamins in the light, at home temperature and in the open air. Therefore, they must be stored in dark, cool places. The refrigerator is the perfect place for this.
Here are some more tricks for storing products from the experience of the Russian people:
3. Effective storage of meat: after freezing, pull it out, douse with cold water and put it back again. A crust of ice will form on the product. It protects against loss of moisture and vitamins.
4. If you want to store meat in a warm environment for several hours, it is immersed in milk. You can also wrap it in a napkin soaked in lemon juice. For the loss of vitamins and taste of meat, you can not worry for several hours.
5. If you plan to store fish in the refrigerator for about a day, the following method is recommended. Fresh catch is washed and dried thoroughly. Then the carcasses are placed on a dish and placed in the coldest corner of the refrigerator, at a temperature of up to 5 degrees below zero.
6. Peeled nuts can be stored for about six months if they are packaged in sealed bags and placed in the freezer. There is a nuance - repeated freezing of nuclei is detrimental to cobalamin.
Vitamin B12 and the foods it contains in cooking
In 2000, American scientists led by Katherine Tucker discovered a curious fact: when eating breakfast cereals, vitamin B12 in the body becomes much more than when consuming meat or poultry. A logical conclusion was formed: with prolonged heat treatment, vitamin B12 is destroyed. What to do, because half-baked foods are not at all appetizing? There are some secrets to preserving vitamins:
1. Fry meat and fish on a dry grill or pan. Frying in oil completely kills all vitamins and gives excess fat.
2. Reduce cooking time in all possible ways. For example, meat can be sprinkled with sugar and kept in a hot frying pan for 5 minutes on each side until all the moisture has evaporated. Then add oil and fry until a crust is obtained for another 5 minutes. The result is only 12 minutes instead of the usual 25 (if it's a liver, then 5). Vitamins remain safe and sound.
3. Avoid prolonged boiling milk. Therefore, it is better to cook porridge like this: boil cereal in water, pour milk into it and bring everything to a boil.
4. It is good to use the baking method in the oven. For example, fish cooks faster in foil, and the nutrients in this method do not “run away” with the juice.
5. Beef liver is very tender. Even fleeting roasting can damage its properties. This offal is best steamed or boiled.
6. Vegetables containing B12 are best stewed or stewed in water. Heat treatment of vegetables should occur in the peel and in a small amount of oil or water.
7. Greens should be eaten whole, without butter and sauces. Instead of cutting, it is best to tear the leaves with your hands.
Vitamin B12 and the foods it contains: the best recipes
The main problem of B12 deficiency in the human body lies in the fact that this "capricious" vitamin is difficult to digest. The following recipes from one chef will help solve this problem.
Snails
Shellfish pour over boiling water. After their leaves open, boil seafood for 5 minutes (at this time, B12 is stably preserved). Stir it with pasta or stewed vegetables.
Cream soup with crab and oysters
Extract crab meat and oyster contents. Chop celery, garlic and onions. Fry them in butter in a saucepan. Add flour to them and pass for 2 minutes. Pour in the same 200 ml. white wine and simmer the contents over low heat until the liquid evaporates. Pour a liter of chicken stock, salt, pepper and cook soup for 10 minutes. Put the potatoes and continue cooking until it is ready. Add cream, seafood, bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes. Put chopped cilantro.
Spaghetti with sardines and fennel
Remove the sardines from the butter and knead with a fork. Pour olive oil into the stewpan and put chopped fennel. Sprinkle with pepper. Cover the container with oiled foil and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add raisins, pine nuts, sardines, cover again and cook for 10 minutes. Boil spaghetti in salted water and drain. Transfer the contents of the stewpan to a serving dish, add the pasta, mix and pepper.
Seafood and dishes from them - a storehouse of vitamin B12. They are quickly digested, give a sea of pleasure, a surge of vigor and a great mood!
