Objective: Recently, even vitamin B ₁₂ (B ₁₂ ) insufficiency, which is milder than B ₁₂ deficiency, has been reported to increase various diseases risks through hyperhomocysteinemia. Therefore, we investigated B ₁₂ intake by age using the data of the National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHNS).
Method: We re-analyzed the data of the NHNS 2015. Data from 6941 subjects out of 8583 subjects, after excluding subjects under the age of 18, female subjects with pregnancy or breastfeeding, and subjects with energy intake over the average ± 2SD, were analyzed.
Results: The percentage of subjects whose B ₁₂ intake was below the estimated average requirement (EAR) was 30.7% for those under 50 years old and 19.1% for those equal to or higher than 50 years old. The presence of raw seafood, processed seafood, and viscera mainly contributed to B ₁₂ intake. The percentage of subjects eating raw or processed seafood increased with increasing age.
Conclusions: B ₁₂ intake was less than EAR in a substantial percentage of subjects, especially those under 50 years old. Low seafood intake could be considered as this cause. Examination and research approach considering age for B ₁₂ intake are desirable in future.