The body needs vitamin B12 as it may be beneficial in notable ways such as boosting energy, improving memory and helping prevent heart diseases, experts say.

Vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin, is an essential vitamin found naturally in animal products, but is also added to certain foods and is available as an oral supplement or injection.

According to David Rukerabigwi, a dietician and nutritionist in Kigali, Vitamin B12 has many roles in the body including supporting the normal function of the nerve cells, and is needed for red blood cell formation and DNA synthesis.

One can get vitamin B12 in animal produces, sources include dairy products, eggs, fish, meat, and poultry.

For most adults, Rukerabigwi says, the recommended daily intake of vitamin B12 is 2.4 mcg, though it’s higher for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

He says that vitamin B12 plays a vital role in helping the body produce red blood cells and that low vitamin B12 levels can cause a reduction in red blood cell formation and prevent them from developing properly.

When it comes to a healthy pregnancy, the nutritionist says adequate vitamin B12 levels are crucial, and studies show that a foetus’s brain and nervous system require sufficient B12 levels from the mother to develop properly.

He explains that a deficiency of this vital vitamin in the beginning stages of pregnancy may increase the risk of birth defects, such as neural tube defects. Also, maternal vitamin B12 deficiency may contribute to premature birth or miscarriage.

If you are following a vegan diet, Rukerabigwi says that there is a need to be cautious as you can end up with vitamin B12 deficiency.

This means that one doesn’t eat any animal products, including meat, milk, cheese, and eggs, or you are a vegetarian who doesn’t eat enough eggs or dairy products to meet the vitamin B12 needs.

To stay on the right track, he advises that one should instead try to add fortified foods to their diet or take supplements to meet this need.

"If you don’t eat animal products, you have options. You can change your diet to include vitamin B12-fortified grains, a supplement, or a high-dose oral vitamin B12 if you are deficient,” he says.

Fortified cereal is a source of vitamin B12 and may work well for vegetarians and vegans because it’s synthetically made and not derived from animal sources, Healthline suggests. Although not commonly recommended as part of a healthy diet, fortified cereals can be a good source of B vitamins, especially B12. Food fortification is the process of adding nutrients that are not originally in the food.

To avoid vitamin B12 deficiency, nutritionists say that eating enough meat, poultry, seafood, dairy products, and eggs is essential and helpful.

According to Healthline, organ meats are some of the most nutrient-packed foods. Liver and kidneys, especially from lamb, are rich in vitamin B12. Sardines are small, soft-boned saltwater fish, usually sold canned in water, oil, or sauces, though you can also buy them fresh. Sardines are especially nutritious because they contain good amounts of almost every single nutrient. A 1-cup (150-gram) serving of drained sardines provides 554% of the DV for vitamin B12.

In addition to this, it’s also recommended that if one doesn’t eat animal products, or has a medical condition that limits how well the body absorbs nutrients, take vitamin B12 in a multivitamin or other supplement and foods fortified with vitamin B12.

Also, nutritionists urge that if one chooses to take vitamin B12 supplements, working closely with a medical expert is essential for proper guidance, to avoid any complications that may arise due to ignorance.