Back to Search Start Over

Vitamin B12 – a scoping review for Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023

Vitamin B12 – a scoping review for Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023

Authors :
Anne-Lise Bjørke-Monsen
Vegard Lysne
Source :
Food & Nutrition Research, Vol 67, Pp 1-14 (2023)
Publication Year :
2023
Publisher :
Swedish Nutrition Foundation, 2023.

Abstract

Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) is essential for normal metabolic function, and even moderate deficiency of this vitamin has negative health effects. Vitamin B12 is found in animal foods, and as vegetarian diets are increasingly popular in Western countries, one might expect a higher prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency in the Nordic population. Setting recommendations for vitamin B12 intake has proven to be difficult, as uptake of vitamin B12 varies substantially, the clinical deficiency symptoms are often diffuse, and there is no clear agreement on the decision limits for vitamin B12 deficiency. Vitamin B12 deficiency is reported to be particularly common among pregnant women and infants, despite the fact that less than 1% of Norwegian pregnant women have a cobalamin intake below the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2012-recommended level of 2.0 µg/day. In addition, the assumption that breast milk contains sufficient vitamin B12 for optimal health and neurodevelopment during the first 6 months of life does not comply with the high prevalence of insufficient vitamin B12 status in this age group. Recommended intakes of vitamin B12 vary among age groups and must be based on markers of cobalamin status, indicating an optimal intracellular biochemical status, and not merely absence of clinical signs of vitamin B12 deficiency.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
1654661X
Volume :
67
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Food & Nutrition Research
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.1875c03621f341019f5f26fcd82acf79
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.29219/fnr.v67.10257