How to Eat Your Vitamins: Vitamins B6 and B12

It's possible to get your daily quota from your plate instead of the drugstore shelf. Here, the nutrients you need every day and how to get them from your diet.

Pills might seem like an easy fix, but food provides an abundance of nutrients, as well as fiber, that pills lack, says Mary Ryan, a registered dietitian in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

These nutrients are what keep your body functioning at its best — building strong bones; improving brainpower, mood, and memory; and possibly helping the immune system ward off ailments both small (a cold) and large (cancer).

"Vitamins should be used only as supplements to the diet, not substitutes for healthy food," says Jeffrey Blumberg, Ph.D., director of the antioxidant research lab at Tufts University, in Boston.

Vitamins B6 and B12

What It Does for You

The B complex of vitamins (especially B6 and B12) keep blood, nerves, and the immune system functioning properly. A deficiency may be a risk factor for heart disease and stroke.

How Much You Need Daily

The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) is 1.3 milligrams for B6 and 2.4 micrograms for B12.

Best Food Sources

B6 is plentiful in whole grains, bananas, beans, nuts, wheat germ, chicken, and fish. B12 is found in beef, poultry, eggs, fish, and dairy.

How to Eat Enough of It

One cup of plain yogurt and a banana, one ounce of sunflower seeds, and three ounces of roast beef will fill your B12 and B6 quotas. B12 is found only in animal products, so vegans should take a supplement.