Milk, eggs, meat and mollusks can keep you at the top of your mental game by providing Vitamin B12.
I recently ran across an article about vitamin B12 and the role it plays in mental acuity. The study, run by researchers at Oxford University, tracked 1,648 women and men age 65 and older and found that a lack of vitamin B12 could diminish cognitive function. Okay, I admit I’m not there yet, but, yikes! None of us can afford that—and none of us should have to, if we eat right!
B12 is found in mollusks (oysters and clams), fish, meat, milk and eggs. Many breakfast cereals are fortified with it. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements website credits B12 with helping to maintain healthy nerve cells and red blood cells. It recommends 2.4 micrograms a day for people over 19. A cup of milk has .9 micrograms, a hard boiled egg has .6.
One easy, tasty way to make sure you are getting enough Vitamin B12 is to eat dishes that combine milk and eggs. I like the different variations of Spinach Mushroom Quiche or Hot Cheese Squares because they also incorporate fresh greens.
And…the leftovers are great for breakfast!
If you want to read the article on the study, you can find it in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, November 2007.
