Vitamin B12 is a necessary nutrient that your physique can’t make by itself, so it is advisable to get it out of your food regimen or dietary supplements.
Vegetarians, pregnant or breastfeeding ladies, and others prone to deficiency could wish to observe their diets carefully to ensure they’re getting sufficient.
This text lists 12 meals wealthy in vitamin B12 so as to add to your buying record.
What’s vitamin B12?
This water-soluble vitamin has many important features in your physique.
It’s crucial for preserving your nerves wholesome and supporting the manufacturing of DNA and crimson blood cells, in addition to sustaining regular mind perform.
The Reference Each day Consumption (RDI) is about 2.4 mcg however barely greater for pregnant or breastfeeding ladies (1).
Vitamin B12 is absorbed within the abdomen with the assistance of a protein known as intrinsic issue. This substance binds to the vitamin B12 molecule and facilitates its absorption into your blood and cells.
Your physique shops extra vitamin B12 within the liver, so in case you eat greater than the RDI, your physique will reserve it for future use.
You might develop a vitamin B12 deficiency in case your physique doesn’t produce sufficient intrinsic issue, or in case you don’t eat sufficient vitamin-B12-rich meals (2).
Vitamin B12 is especially present in animal merchandise, particularly meat and dairy merchandise. Fortunately for these on vegans diets, fortified meals could be good sources of this vitamin, too (1, 3).
Beneath are 12 wholesome meals which are very excessive in vitamin B12.
1. Animal liver and kidneys
Organ meats are a number of the most nutritious meals on the market. Liver and kidneys, particularly from lamb, are wealthy in vitamin B12.
A 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving of lamb liver supplies an unbelievable 3,571% of the Each day Worth (DV) for vitamin B12 (4).
Whereas lamb liver is mostly greater in vitamin B12 than beef or veal liver, the latter two should still comprise about 3,000% of the DV per 3.5 ounces (100 grams) (5, 6).
Lamb liver can be very excessive in copper, selenium, and nutritional vitamins A and B2 (4).
Lamb, veal, and beef kidneys are additionally excessive in vitamin B12. Lamb kidneys present about 3,000% of the DV per 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving. In addition they present greater than 100% of the DV for vitamin B2 and selenium (7).
2. Clams
Clams are small, chewy shellfish which are full of vitamins.
This mollusk is a lean supply of protein and comprises very excessive concentrations of vitamin B12. You may get greater than 7,000% of the DV in simply 20 small clams (8).
Clams, particularly entire child clams, additionally present nice quantities of iron, with virtually 200% of the DV in a 100-gram (3.5-ounce) serving of small clams (9).
Clams have additionally been proven to be a great supply of antioxidants (10).
Curiously, the broth of boiled clams can be excessive in vitamin B12. Canned broth has been proven to offer 113–588% of the DV per 3.5 ounces (100 grams) (11).
3. Sardines
Sardines are small, soft-boned saltwater fish. They’re normally offered canned in water, oil, or sauces, although you can even purchase them recent.
Sardines are tremendous nutritious as a result of they comprise nearly each single nutrient in good quantities.
A 1-cup (150-gram) serving of drained sardines supplies 554% of the DV for vitamin B12 (11).
Moreover, sardines are a wonderful supply of omega-3 fatty acids, which have been proven to offer many well being advantages, akin to decreasing irritation and enhancing coronary heart well being (12).
4. Beef – “foods high in vitamin b”
Beef is a superb supply of vitamin B12.
One grilled flat iron steak (about 190 grams) supplies 467% of the DV for vitamin B12 ().
Additionally, the identical quantity of steak comprises cheap quantities of nutritional vitamins B2, B3, and B6, in addition to greater than 100% of the DVs for selenium and zinc (13).
Should you’re searching for greater concentrations of vitamin B12, it’s beneficial to select from low fats cuts of meat. It’s additionally higher to grill or roast it as a substitute of frying. This helps protect the vitamin B12 content material (14, 15).
5. Fortified cereal
This supply of vitamin B12 may match properly for vegetarians and vegans, because it’s synthetically made and never derived from animal sources (16).
Though not generally beneficial as a part of a nutritious diet, fortified cereals is usually a good supply of B nutritional vitamins, particularly B12. Meals fortification is the method of including vitamins that aren’t initially within the meals.
For example, Malt-O-Meal Raisin Bran provide as much as 62% of the DV for vitamin B12 in 1 cup (59 grams) (17).
The identical serving of this cereal additionally packs 29% of the DV for vitamin B6 and good quantities of vitamin A, folate, and iron (17).
Analysis reveals that consuming fortified cereals every day helps improve vitamin B12 concentrations (18, 19).
In actual fact, one examine confirmed that when contributors ate 1 cup (240 ml) of fortified cereal containing 4.8 mcg (200% of the DV) of vitamin B12 every day for 14 weeks, their vitamin B12 ranges elevated considerably (18).
Should you select to make use of fortified cereal to extend your vitamin B12 consumption, be certain to decide on a model low in added sugar and excessive in fiber or entire grains.
6. Tuna
Tuna is a generally consumed fish and nice supply of vitamins, together with protein, nutritional vitamins, and minerals.
Tuna comprises excessive concentrations of vitamin B12, particularly within the muscle tissue proper beneath the pores and skin, that are referred to as darkish muscle tissue (20).
A 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving of cooked tuna comprises 453% of the DV for the vitamin (21).
This identical serving measurement additionally packs a great quantity of lean protein, phosphorus, selenium, and nutritional vitamins A and B3 (21).
Canned tuna additionally comprises an honest quantity of vitamin B12. In actual fact, a can (165 grams) of sunshine tuna canned in water comprises 115% of the DV (22).