Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Are you getting enough vitamin B12? Many people don’t, and that deficiency can cause problems.

Vitamin B12 does a lot of things for your body. It helps make your DNA and your red blood cells, for examples.

You can get vitamin B12 from your diet, or from supplements. Exactly how much you need depends on your age.

Below are the top 10 foods highest in vitamin B12 by common serving sizes, click here for high vitamin B12 foods by nutrient density, here for an extended list of vitamin B12 rich foods, and here for other foods high in vitamin B. For even more see the articles for vegan and vegetarian sources of vitamin B12.

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#1: Shellfish (Cooked Clams)

Vitamin B12 in 100g	3oz Serving (85g)	Per 20 small clams (190g)
98.9μg (1648% DV)	84.1μg (1401% DV)	187.9μg (3132% DV)

Other Shellfish High in Vitamin B12 (%DV per 3oz serving cooked): Oysters (408%), and Mussels (340%). Click to see complete nutrition facts.

#2: Liver (Beef)

Vitamin B12 in 100g	3oz Serving (85g)	Per Slice (81g)
83.1μg (1386% DV)	70.7μg (1178% DV)	67.3μg (1122% DV)

Other Liver Products High in Vitamin B12 (%DV per 3oz serving):Liverwurst Sausage (189%), Paté de Foie Gras (133%) and Chicken Liver Paté (114%). Click to see complete nutrition facts.

#3: Fish (Mackerel)

Vitamin B12 in 100g	3oz Serving (85g)	Per Fillet (88g)
19.0μg (317% DV)	16.2μg (269% DV)	16.7μg (279% DV)

Other Fish High in Vitamin B12 (%DV per 3oz serving cooked):Smoked Salmon (257%), Herring (186%), Tuna (154%), Canned Sardines (126%) and Trout (106%). Click to see complete nutrition facts. For more see the article on Canned Fish High in Vitamin B12.

#4: Crustaceans (Crab)

Vitamin B12 in 100g	3oz Serving (85g)	Per Leg (134g)
11.5μg (192% DV)	9.8μg (163% DV)	15.4μg (257% DV)

Other Crustaceans High in Vitamin B12 (%DV per 3oz serving cooked): Crayfish (44%), Shrimp (24%) and Lobster (20%). Click to see complete nutrition facts.

#5: Fortified Soy Products (Silken Tofu)

Vitamin B12 in 100g	3oz Serving (85g)	Per 1/5 package (91g)
2.4μg (40% DV)	2.0μg (34% DV)	2.2μg (37% DV)

Light Plain Soymilk contains (50% DV) of Vitamin B12 per cup. Click to see complete nutrition facts.

#6: Fortified Cereals (All Bran)

Vitamin B12 in 100g	Per Cup (90g)	Per Serving(1/3 Cup - 30g)
20.0μg (333% DV)	18.0μg (300% DV)	6.0μg (100% DV)

Click to see complete nutrition facts. For more see the article on Cereals High in B12.

#7: Red Meat (Beef)

Vitamin B12 in 100g	3oz Serving (85g)	Per Medallion (34g)
6.0μg (100% DV)	5.1μg (85% DV)	2.0μg (34% DV)

Lamb is also High in Vitamin B12 with (45% DV) per 3oz serving cooked. Click to see complete nutrition facts.

#8: Low Fat Dairy (Skim Milk)

Vitamin B12 in 100g	Per Cup (245g)	Per Quart (980g)
0.5μg (8% DV)	1.2μg (21% DV)	4.9μg (82% DV)

Other Dairy Foods High in Vitamin B12 (%DV per cup): Nonfat Yogurt (25%), Reduced Fat Milk (22%), Whole Milk (18%), and Full Fat Yogurt (15%).Click to see complete nutrition facts.

#9: Cheese (Swiss)

Vitamin B12 in 100g	1oz Serving (28g)	Per Cup Shredded (108g)
3.3μg (56% DV)	0.9μg (16% DV)	3.6μg (60% DV)

Other Cheeses High in Vitamin B12 (%DV per 1 oz serving):Reduced Fat Mozzarella, Parmesan and Gietost (11%), Tilsit (10%) and Feta (8%).Click to see complete nutrition facts.

#10: Eggs (Chicken’s)

Vitamin B12 in 100g (Yolk)	Per Yolk (17g)	Per Whole Egg (50g)
2.0μg (33% DV)	0.3μg (6% DV)	0.36μg (6% DV)

Other Eggs High in Vitamin B12 (%DV per whole egg, raw): Goose (122%), Duck (63%), Turkey (22%), and Quail (2%). Click to see complete nutrition facts.

A lack of vitamin B12 (B12 deficiency) is one cause of anaemia. Pernicious anaemia is a condition where vitamin B12 cannot be absorbed into your body. It is the most common cause of vitamin B12 deficiency in the UK. Vitamin B12 deficiency can easily be treated by regular injections of vitamin B12.

Causes of Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Vitamin B12 deficiency can happen if you have certain conditions, such as:

• Atrophic gastritis, in which your stomach lining has thinned 
• Pernicious anemia, which makes it hard for your body to absorb vitamin B12
• Surgery that removed part of your stomach or small intestine, including weight loss surgery
• Conditions affecting the small intestine, such as Crohn's disease,celiac disease, bacterial growth, or a parasite
• Heavy drinking
• Immune system disorders, such as Graves' disease or lupus
• Long-term use of acid-reducing drugs

You can also get vitamin B12 deficiency if you're a vegan (meaning you don't eat any animal products, including meat, milk, cheese, and eggs) or a vegetarian who doesn't eat enough eggs or dairy products to meet your vitamin B12 needs.

Babies born to mothers who are vegetarians may also not get enough vitamin B12.

Symptoms of Vitamin B12 Deficiency

A deficiency of vitamin B12 can lead to vitamin B12 deficiency anemia. A mild deficiency may cause only mild, if any, symptoms. But if untreated, it may cause symptoms such as:

• Weakness, tiredness, or light-headedness  
• Rapid heartbeat and breathing
• Pale skin
• Sore tongue
• Easy bruising or bleeding, including bleeding gums
• Stomach upset and weight loss
• Diarrhea or constipation

If you think you have symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency, you can ask your doctor for a blood test to check on that.

Treatment for Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Vitamin B12 deficiency treatment depends on the cause. 

If pernicious anemia or a problem with absorption is the cause, you'll need to replace vitamin B12, usually by injection, or by prescription.

If the issue is that you don't eat animal products, you can change your diet or take supplements.

For most people, treatment resolves the problem. But any nerve damage that happened due to the deficiency could be permanent.

Preventing Deficiency Problems

Most people can prevent vitamin B12 deficiency by eating enough meat, poultry, seafood, dairy products, and eggs. 

If you don't eat animal products, or you have a medical condition that limits how well your body absorbs nutrients, experts recommend taking a B12-containing multivitamin and eating breakfast cereal fortified with vitamin B12.

If you're using vitamin B12 supplements, let your doctor know, so he or she can make sure they won't affect any medicines you're taking.

Top 10 Foods Highest in Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)

Vitamin B-12, or Cobalamin, is the largest and most complex vitamin currently known to man. A slight deficiency of vitamin B-12 can lead to anemia, fatigue, mania, and depression, while a long term deficiency can cause permanent damage to the brain and central nervous system. Vitamin B12 can only be manufactured by bacteria and can only be found naturally in animal products, however, synthetic forms are widely available and added to many foods like cereals. Vitamin B12 can be consumed in large doses because excess is excreted by the body or stored in the liver for use when supplies are scarce. Stores of B12 can last for up to a year.