Vitamin B12-Rich Diet May Help During Coronavirus Pandemic (Study); Foods You Can Eat

Vitamin B12 is one of the many B vitamins that are crucial for bodily health. The most profound benefit of B12 is its ability to regulate cell metabolism and boost red blood cells production. In today's times, high importance has been attributed to this nutrient as many studies have linked vitamin B12 deficiency to severe COVID-19 cases and difficulty in their treatment. In yet another startling revelation, researchers from Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU) in Russia, along with their Japanese colleagues, suggested that COVID-19 can stop RBC formation in the body, and lack of vitamin B12 could make it worse.

The study, published in the journal Archiv EuroMedica, claimed that severe COVID-19 infection may not only damage key red blood cells called erythrocytes but may also prevent formation of new ones.

Erythrocytes red blood cells help oxygen travel in the body through hemoglobin. Researchers found that loss of erythrocytes in Coronavirus patients could damage brain neurons, blood vessels, and lead to multiple organ failure in worse cases. Artificial ventilation does not help and only administration of erythrocyte mass and vitamin B12 could be effective. The study found that the characteristic location of hemoglobin in RBCs of COVID-19 patients indicated iron deficiency and B12 anaemia.

Another study published by The National Center for Biotechnology Information, under The United States National Library of Medicine, reported that symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency are close to COVID-19 infection such as elevated oxidative stress, respiratory and gastrointestinal disorders, and also central nervous systems impairment.

(Also Read: Here's How You Can Add These Vitamin B12 Foods To Your Diet This Winter)

Vitamin B12-rich foods benefit our health in many ways. Image Credit: iStock

How You Can Add Vitamin B12 To Your Diet? 5 Vitamin B12-Rich Foods:

1. Chicken

Besides being a valuable source of animal-based proteins, chicken also offers a good amount of vitamin B12. Click here to try some chicken recipes.

2. Eggs

Another food packed with proteins and vitamin B12, eggs are a breakfast staple. Click here to try these egg recipes for morning meals.

3. Cereals

Also add cereals to your breakfast menu for a load of vitamin B12. Cereals like bran and whole wheat oat cereals are excellent options to make a healthy breakfast bowl.

4. Milk

Milk and all milk products are considered a great source of vitamin B12. And there are so many ways you can add them to your daily diet.

5. Salmon

Not just for Omega 3 fatty acids, eat salmon fish for vitamin B12 too. Here are some easy salmon recipes for you.
 

(This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.)