8 Foods Naturally High in Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 helps your body make red blood cells, produce energy, and keep your brain and nerves healthy, but you have to get it from supplements or food, such as eggs, fatty fish, and more. If you don’t get enough, you could feel tired, weak, or even develop anemia.

1. Red Meat

Vitamin B12: 2.12 micrograms (mcg)
Serving size: 4 ounces

Red meats, such as beef and pork, are excellent sources of vitamin B12. Three ounces of 80% lean ground beef provides just over 100% of the RDA for B12. Beef is also a good source of other essential nutrients, including folate, niacin, iron, zinc, potassium, and protein.

However, red meat can be high in saturated fat. People trying to lower their cholesterol should make saturated fat less than 6% of their daily caloric intake.

2. Fatty Fish

Vitamin B12: 6.3 mcg
Serving size: Half a filet of salmon

Fatty fish are best known for being excellent sources of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. However, they’re also good sources of other vitamins, such as B12. Examples of fatty fish include:

Half a filet of salmon (198 grams) is 260% of your daily B12 needs.

3. Eggs

Vitamin B12: 0.5 mcg
Serving size: 1 egg

Most of the vitamins and minerals in eggs are in the egg yolk. Along with vitamin B12, an egg provides 6 grams (g) of protein, 92 milligrams (mg) of potassium, 24 mg of calcium, 155 mg of choline, 90 mcg of vitamin A, and 50 International Units (IU) of vitamin D.

4. Dairy Products

Vitamin B12: 1.28 mcg
Serving size: 170 g container

Dairy products, such as milk, cheese, and yogurt, are good sources of vitamins and minerals. A container of nonfat Greek yogurt contains about 50% daily B12 needs, 230 mg of phosphorus, 240 mg of potassium, 187 mg of calcium, and about 17 g of protein.

5. Shellfish

Vitamin B12: 1.22 mcg
Serving size: 3 ounces of lobster

Shellfish, like clams, lobster, and mussels, are excellent sources of protein, vitamins, and minerals. For example, lobster provides B12, as well as 16 g of protein, 62 mcg of selenium, 9 mcg of folate, and 68 mcg of choline.

6. Organ Meat

Vitamin B12: 60 mcg
Serving size: 3 ounces

Animal organ meats, like liver and kidney, are loaded with nutrients, even if they’re less popular than they used to be. Because B12 can be stored in the liver, these meats are usually the most vitamin B12-rich foods. 

Liver offers about 2,500% of the daily recommended intake of vitamin B12. Additionally, 3 ounces of liver provide 25 g of protein, 5 mg of iron, 422 mg of phosphorus, 299 mg of potassium, and 215 mcg of folate.

7. Nutritional Yeast

Vitamin B12: 24 mcg
Serving size: 16 g

Nutritional yeast is a popular food topper and cooking ingredient for vegan meal plans. It’s a species of yeast grown for food and provides a savory flavor. However, yeast cannot produce vitamin B12, so it must be fortified to serve as a dietary source. Nutritional yeast is manufactured to provide a rich source of protein, vitamins, and minerals.

8. Non-Dairy Milk

Vitamin B12: 3 mcg
Serving size: 8 ounces

Non-dairy milk, such as almond, soy, oat, or cashew milk, doesn’t naturally contain vitamin B12. It is often fortified to provide a range of vitamins and minerals.

Why Is Vitamin B12 Important?

Vitamin B12 is crucial for multiple functions in the body, including:

• Maintaining the health of nerve and brain cells
• Boosting focus and cognitive function (thinking and memory)
• Assists in making healthy red blood cells and preventing anemia
• Used to facilitate energy production
• Protects eye health
• Helps in duplicating and regulating DNA
• May help avoid congenital abnormalities (those present at birth)

Daily Recommended Intake

The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for vitamin B12 is 2.4 micrograms daily. During pregnancy, the RDA increases to 2.6 micrograms daily, while breastfeeding, it is 2.8 micrograms per day. This can be consumed through foods or dietary supplements. 

No toxic effects of vitamin B12 have been identified at this time. This is likely because any excess of water-soluble vitamins can be removed from the body through urine. 

Still, talk with your healthcare provider before starting any new dietary supplement. Whole foods, with their variety of nutrients, may be beneficial for meeting your nutritional needs.