Nutritionist advises readers on how to get more B-12 in their diets

• As long as basic blood counts didn't show any anemia, even these people were considered safe.
• Vitamin B-12 is the shorthand term for a group of substances called cobalamins.
• Strict vegetarians - those who avoid meat, poultry, fish and dairy products - are among those most likely to lack vitamin B-12, because animal foods are the primary sources.
• According to surveys, most Americans do meet the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of 2.4 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin B-12 per day.
• The average consumption ranges from 2.9 to 5.1 mcg.
• However, if people cut back on animal foods, as they should, to eat a mostly plant-based diet that will lower their cancer risk, careless choices could leave them short.
• Two modest servings of poultry, lean meat, or seafood plus two cups of lowfat, skim, or nonfat milk or yogurt allow a person to meet this RDA.
• Children need less vitamin B-12, too, but their ability to store less means that they can develop health problems more quickly with an inadequate diet.
• Since acids in our stomachs' digestive juices release the bonds that bind vitamin B-12 to protein in food, we need enough of these acids for proper absorption.
• Studies suggest that 10 to 43 percent of people over the age of 50 may lack the acids to release vitamin B-12 from protein so it can be absorbed.
• A high intake of folate from fortified grains can hide the changes in red blood cells that show a lack of vitamin B-12.
• If you are at risk of not getting enough vitamin B-12 - either because of your food choices or your inability to absorb it - you should discuss the matter with your doctor.