Vitamin B12 Foods: What Foods Are High in B12

The foods highest in vitamin B12 are animal foods: clams, beef liver and oysters lead the list, followed by fish such as salmon and tuna, beef, milk, yogurt, cheese and eggs. Plant foods do not naturally contain B12, so vegetarians and vegans rely on fortified foods such as nutritional yeast and breakfast cereals, or supplements. Adults need 2.4 mcg a day, and one 3 ounce serving of salmon, tuna or beef covers about that much (NIH ODS). This guide lists what foods are high in B12 with the amount in each, the best B12 foods for vegetarians, foods high in both iron and B12, how well your body absorbs B12 from food, and who is most likely to run low.

It is educational, not medical advice.

Key Takeaways

• How much you need: the RDA is 2.4 mcg a day for adults, 2.6 mcg in pregnancy and 2.8 mcg while breastfeeding (NIH ODS).
• Top foods: beef liver (70.7 mcg per 3 ounces), clams (17 mcg) and oysters (14.9 mcg) are the richest sources; salmon, tuna and beef each give about 100% of the Daily Value per 3 ounces (NIH ODS).
• Plant foods: fruits, vegetables, beans and grains contain no B12 unless fortified; fortified nutritional yeast and cereals are the main plant-based sources (NIH ODS).
• Absorption: stomach acid and a protein called intrinsic factor are needed to absorb B12 from food, and the NIH advises people over 50 to get most of their B12 from fortified foods or supplements (NIH ODS).

How Much Vitamin B12 Do You Need?

Vitamin B12 helps keep your blood and nerve cells healthy and helps make DNA (NIH ODS). The Recommended Dietary Allowances for adults are (NIH ODS):

Group	Vitamin B12 a day
Men and women 19 and older	2.4 mcg
Pregnancy	2.6 mcg
Breastfeeding	2.8 mcg

The Daily Value on food labels is 2.4 mcg, so 100% DV equals the adult RDA (NIH ODS).

Foods High in Vitamin B12

These amounts come from the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements food table (NIH ODS):

Food	Serving	Vitamin B12	% Daily Value
Beef liver, pan fried	3 ounces	70.7 mcg	2,944%
Clams, cooked	3 ounces	17 mcg	708%
Oysters, wild, cooked	3 ounces	14.9 mcg	621%
Nutritional yeast, fortified	About 1/4 cup	8.3 to 24 mcg (varies by brand)	346% to 1,000%
Salmon, Atlantic, cooked	3 ounces	2.6 mcg	108%
Tuna, light, canned in water	3 ounces	2.5 mcg	104%
Ground beef, 85% lean	3 ounces	2.4 mcg	100%
Milk, 2%	1 cup	1.3 mcg	54%
Yogurt, plain, fat free	6 ounces	1.0 mcg	43%
Breakfast cereal, fortified with 25% DV	1 serving	0.6 mcg	25%
Cheddar cheese	1.5 ounces	0.5 mcg	19%
Egg, whole, cooked	1 large	0.5 mcg	19%
Turkey breast, roasted	3 ounces	0.3 mcg	14%
Tempeh	1/2 cup	0.1 mcg	3%
Bananas, bread, strawberries, beans, spinach	Any	0 mcg	0%

A simple day that covers your B12 could be a cup of milk or yogurt at breakfast and a serving of fish, beef or eggs later on. Seafood and organ meats are the richest choices, but you do not need them every day to reach 2.4 mcg.

For what B12 does once you get it, see our guide to vitamin B12 benefits.

Vegetarian and Vegan B12 Foods

Plant foods do not naturally contain vitamin B12. Fortified breakfast cereals and fortified nutritional yeast are easy to find and their B12 is well absorbed (NIH ODS). Vegetarians who eat dairy and eggs get some B12 from milk, yogurt, cheese and eggs, as the table shows.

Running low is common on plant-based diets. A review of 18 studies that measured B12 status found higher rates of deficiency among vegans than vegetarians, and among people who had followed a vegetarian diet since birth than among those who adopted it later; the authors advised vegetarians to make sure they get enough B12, including from supplements (Pawlak et al., 2013). Check labels, because the amount of B12 in fortified foods varies by brand (NIH ODS).

Foods High in Iron and B12

Several foods appear near the top of both the iron and the B12 lists from the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (NIH ODS; NIH ODS iron):

• Oysters: 8 mg of iron and 14.9 mcg of B12 per 3 ounces.
• Beef liver: 5 mg of iron and 70.7 mcg of B12 per 3 ounces.
• Beef: about 2 mg of iron per 3 ounces of braised bottom round, and 2.4 mcg of B12 per 3 ounces of ground beef.
• Fortified breakfast cereals: some brands supply 100% of the Daily Value for iron and added B12; check the label.
• Tuna and eggs: about 1 mg of iron each per serving, plus 2.5 mcg and 0.5 mcg of B12.

Beans, lentils, tofu and spinach are good plant sources of iron but contain no B12 (NIH ODS iron; NIH ODS).

How Well Is B12 From Food Absorbed?

B12 in food is bound to protein. Stomach acid and digestive enzymes free it, and it then joins intrinsic factor, a protein made in the stomach, before it is absorbed at the end of the small intestine (NIH ODS). About 50% is absorbed at small amounts (under 1 to 2 mcg), and much less once that capacity is exceeded (NIH ODS). Because many older adults make too little stomach acid, the NIH advises people over 50 to get most of their B12 from fortified foods or supplements, which their bodies can usually absorb (NIH ODS).

Several things reduce absorption from food (NIH ODS):

• Age: a condition that lowers stomach acid and intrinsic factor affects about 2% of people overall but 8% to 9% of adults 65 and older.
• Acid reducers: proton pump inhibitors and H2 blockers can interfere with B12 absorption from food by slowing the release of stomach acid.
• Metformin: this diabetes medicine might reduce B12 absorption and lower blood levels.
• Gut surgery and digestive conditions that affect the stomach or small intestine.

If any of these apply to you, ask your doctor whether to check your B12 level. Do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own.

If you take a supplement, our guide to methylcobalamin vs cyanocobalamin compares the two most common forms of B12.

Who Is Most Likely to Run Low on B12?

The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements lists these groups as more likely to have trouble getting enough vitamin B12 (NIH ODS; NIH ODS):

• Older adults
• Vegetarians and vegans
• People who have had some types of stomach or intestinal surgery, for example to lose weight
• People with digestive conditions that affect the stomach or small intestine
• People who cannot make intrinsic factor

Signs of Low Vitamin B12

With a B12 deficiency you may feel tired or weak (NIH ODS). Low B12 can also cause a type of anemia and nerve changes, such as numbness and tingling in the hands and feet (NIH ODS). These signs have many possible causes, so see a doctor rather than guessing; your doctor can test your B12 level (NIH ODS). For other common reasons people feel drained, see our guide to vitamins for energy and fatigue vs burnout.

B12 Supplements

If food is not enough, supplements are the usual option. Vitamin B12 has no tolerable upper intake level because it is generally considered safe, even at high doses (NIH ODS). Our Methyl B-12 Nasal Spray provides 408 mcg of vitamin B12 as methylcobalamin per two-spray serving, used once a day; learn more about this form on our methyl B12 (methylcobalamin) ingredient page and in B12 nasal spray: benefits, dosage and injections compared. For a wider daily energy routine, see our non-stimulant energy and focus hub and our science-based morning routine.

If you combine B12 foods with supplements, our guide on whether you can take too much B12 explains safe amounts.

Frequently Asked Questions

What foods are high in B12?

Beef liver, clams and oysters are the richest sources, followed by salmon, tuna, beef, milk, yogurt, cheese and eggs. Fortified nutritional yeast and breakfast cereals add B12 for people who avoid animal foods (NIH ODS).

What fruits and vegetables have B12?

None naturally. Fruits, vegetables, beans and grains contain no vitamin B12 unless B12 has been added (NIH ODS).

How much B12 do I need a day?

Adults need 2.4 mcg a day, rising to 2.6 mcg in pregnancy and 2.8 mcg while breastfeeding (NIH ODS).

Do eggs have B12?

Yes. One large cooked egg has about 0.5 mcg, roughly 19% of the Daily Value (NIH ODS).

What are the best B12 foods for vegetarians?

Milk, yogurt, cheese, eggs, fortified breakfast cereals and fortified nutritional yeast. Vegans rely on fortified foods or supplements (NIH ODS; Pawlak et al., 2013).

Which foods are high in both iron and B12?

Oysters, beef liver, beef, tuna, eggs and fortified breakfast cereals (NIH ODS; NIH ODS iron).

Can you get too much B12 from food?

No upper limit has been set for vitamin B12 because it is generally considered safe, even at high doses (NIH ODS).

Why might I be low in B12 even if I eat meat?

Absorbing B12 from food needs stomach acid and intrinsic factor. Older age, acid-reducing medicines, metformin and gut surgery can all lower how much you absorb (NIH ODS).

For related guides, see electrolytes and the foods that supply them and brain fog.

Related reading: how long B12 takes to work.

Sources

• NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin B12: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. NIH ODS
• NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin B12: Fact Sheet for Consumers. NIH ODS
• NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Iron: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. NIH ODS
• Pawlak R, et al. How prevalent is vitamin B12 deficiency among vegetarians? Nutr Rev. 2013. PubMed 23356638

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This content is for education and is not medical advice. Our products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Talk with a healthcare provider before starting a new supplement if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or taking medication.