Vitamin B-12 is one of the essential nutrients you should be prioritizing in your diet to speed up your metabolism, energizing your body and making it even easier to create a calorie deficit which will allow for healthy weight loss. Primarily found in animal products, more often than not it is those who follow a plant based diet that will be deficient in this vitamin. Even so, it’s a good idea to be cognizant of your food intake in order to ensure you’re getting enough B-12 from day to day to improve your metabolism and provide significant energy to the body.
As Victoria Swift, MD, notes, “Vitamin B-12 is important in weight loss because it converts your food into sugar and other usable energy. When you are on a diet, B-12 pushes your metabolism to work faster in breaking down the food and providing lasting energy.” With this, we gathered the four best foods for increasing your B-12 intake and promoting healthy weight loss so that you can optimize your diet to fuel your day and your body.
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Lean Meat
Better for weight loss than higher fat options such as red meat, leaner cuts such as chicken and turkey are high in vitamin B-12 while also boasting lower calories. This will help to keep you full for longer while maintaining a calorie deficit and burning more fat at rest as well. “The best and pretty much only sources of vitamin B-12 are animal products,” notes Charlotte Martin, MS, RDN and author of the upcoming novel The Plant-Forward Solution: Reboot Your Diet, Lose Weight & Build Lifelong Health by Eating More Plants & Less Meat. Pair your meat with a vegetable such as leafy greens or cruciferous veggies for an added boost of fiber which will also promote weight loss with ease.
Eggs
If you follow a vegetarian diet, you can still gather plenty of vitamin B-12 through eggs. This protein source is also relatively low in calories while still being filling, making it the perfect option to kill two birds with one stone. Protein has been known to fuel your muscles as well as speed up your metabolism which is essential for effortless weight loss without depriving your body of important nutrients.
Nutritional Yeast
Although vitamin B-12 is primarily found in animal products, nutritional yeast is a rare exception which can offer ample B-12 to a plant based diet. This delicious seasoning offers cheese adjacent flavor and is delicious sprinkled on eggs, avocado toast, or even used in vegan mac and cheese as an easy way to boost your vitamin intake and improve your metabolism without having to turn to supplements.
“Vitamin B-12 supplements are unnecessary unless you have a deficiency in vitamin B12,” notes Martin. That said, “Even if [you are] deficient, supplementing with vitamin B-12 isn’t likely to have noticeable effects on weight loss unless accompanied by other diet and lifestyle changes.” There is no singular cure-all to weight loss, and while boosting your metabolism with vitamins and minerals can help, it still will take a healthy and sustainable calorie deficit at the end of the day to make lasting changes to your body.
Fish
Certain fish are better for providing vitamins and minerals than others, and shellfish, salmon, and herring are all great for boosting your metabolism while providing ample protein to your body. Fish is also often a leaner form of protein than red meat as well, making it a valuable source of nutrient dense calories that won’t have a negative impact on your heart or overall health over time. However, it is important to note that fish often contains high levels of mercury and therefore should be consumed in moderation--2-3 days a week at most.
