Eating This Shellfish Is One Of The Simplest Ways To Boost Your Vitamin B12 Intake
Among the healthier foods more often seen on American tables is shellfish, and while shrimp tops the chart as the country's most popular seafood, clams are sitting pretty in 10th place. This should be music to many clinicians' ears. Why? Because those tasty little guys are the best source of vitamin B12 there is.
Clams are stuffed with B12; a 190-gram serving — around 20 small mollusks — contains a whopping 188 micrograms, way more than the 2.4 µg recommended daily intake. Despite that tiny number, an estimated 6 to 20% of people in the US don't get enough vitamin B12, and there are several symptoms that can suggest a deficiency, including blurred vision, confusion, and unexplained tiredness. As well as eating more clams (a can of chowder makes for a delicious pasta sauce), it's wise to check in with your doctor to get your B12 levels assessed.
One of eight vitamins that make up the B-group, vitamin B12 is only found in foods that come from animals, which is why anyone who follows a strictly plant-based diet need to take supplements or to eat lots of fortified foods. That's because vitamin B12 affects us on a fundamental level; creating and repairing our DNA, as well as producing red blood cells and keeping our nervous system in good working order.
There are many tasty ways to get the B12 benefits of clams
Unfortunately, as we get older, our natural ability to absorb vitamin B12 diminishes, so we need to ensure we eat more foods that contain B12. But what's the best way to enjoy them, beyond the traditional chowder? Well, throwing your clams into a hot pan after coating them in a little flour, egg wash and breadcrumbs to create classic fried clams is a popular way to get them from the shell to your stomach. Serve with ketchup or tartar sauce for a tasty appetizer.
Alternatively, add a handful to a white wine sauce and mix the lot with some homemade fresh pasta for a sophisticated dish that's a treat for your tastebuds, as well as a boost to your B12 levels. You don't even have to be fancy about it. Clams are among the canned foods that deserve to be eaten at breakfast, and knowing they're such a rich source of vitamin B12 is even more of an excuse to crack open a tin and be as happy as a clam at high tide.