Everyone needs vitamin B12: It helps the body produce red blood cells and maintain healthy brain function, along with so many other things. But are you getting enough of it?

Here’s what to know about vitamin B12 and whether you should consider upping your levels.

A boon for brain health

“Vitamin B12 is important for brain health because it helps protect nerve cells in the brain, which support memory and thinking skills,” says Michelle Routhenstein, a preventive cardiology dietitian and certified diabetes educator in New York. It’s water-soluble, so the body does not store it in large amounts, and daily intake is essential.

The current federal recommendations are for adults to get 2.4 mcg of vitamin B12 per day . Great food sources of B12 include seafood like oysters, salmon and tuna,

See Full Page