To be healthy, the human body needs essential nutrients. Deficiency in minerals and trace elements could actually weaken our body’s immune system. Among the essential trace elements, we can distinguish cobalt. It allows our body to manufacture vitamin B12, an essential element for cell division.
While boosting your metabolism, it stimulates the production of red blood cells. Among other things, it helps relieve migraines, and fight against depression and memory problems. You will therefore need to consume a sufficient amount of cobalt to be at the top of your game. So what are the foods richest in cobalt? The answers are in the following lines.
Foods of animal origin
Since cobalt is a component of vitamin B12, the foods that contain the most are those that contain the most vitamin B12.
animal off
We can find a large number of vitamin B12 in organ meats such as lamb livers, lamb kidneys, calf brains, heifer livers, calf kidneys, etc. As an example, 100 g of cooked beef liver can contain between 60 µg to 83 µg of vitamin B12. Similarly, you can find 79 µg in 100 g of lamb kidney.
seafood
After off, seafood also contains a fairly large amount of cobalt. Among other things, you can find them in mussels, Pacific oysters, winkles, clams, octopus, shrimp, etc. For example, 100 g of clams can contain between 35 µg to 40 µg of vitamin B12.
The fish
Fish are also an excellent source of cobalt. You can find it in mackerel, herring, sardines, anchovies, bluefish, etc. For example, you can find 19 µg in 100 g of mackerel, 16 µg in 100 g of anchovy fillets, and 15 µg in 100 g of herring.
meat
Animal meats can also contain cobalt in quite interesting quantities. You can find it in beef, pork, chicken meat, etc. You can thus find 10 µg of vitamin B12 in 100 g of rabbit meat. You can also find 5 µg in 100 g of beef.
Eggs and dairy products
Cobalt can be present in eggs and their derivatives. Among other things, you can find 2.62 µg in a raw egg yolk. A cheese omelet may contain 1.54 µg. Cobalt can also be found in certain dairy products such as cow’s milk, whole milk powder, cheeses, etc.
Foods of plant origin
Cobalt is a trace element that is found almost only in animal products. However, it can also be present in certain foods of plant origin, but in lower quantities compared to foods of animal origin. It is also an excellent alternative for vegetarians and vegans.
You can find cobalt in soybeans, sour cherries, dark grapes, dates, etc. Good news for lovers of soy milk. You can also find it in sauerkraut, beer, and certain algae such as spirulina for example. Mushrooms can also contain it but in very small quantities.
What are the consequences of a cobalt deficiency?
When a person has deficiency, they can fire quickly. She may have neurological disorders, memory loss, mood swings, or even psychoses. In the worst case, the lack of cobalt can lead to macrocytic anemia (too large red blood cells) or pernicious anemia.
In a pregnant woman, the lack of cobalt can increase the risk of miscarriage. The newborn may also have an anomaly in his neural tube. In other words, the deficiency sometimes causes very serious neurological sequelae in toddlers.
What are the consequences of an excess of cobalt?
If the lack of cobalt is harmful to the body, the excess can also have significant consequences. Indeed, high consumption of cobalt can lead to vomiting or nausea, heart problems, and visual disturbances.
In the worst case, overconsumption of vitamin B12 can cause some people to have thyroid gland dysfunction. Prolonged exposure to cobalt dust can cause respiratory problems and increase the risk of lung cancer.
