How much Vitamin B12 do you need each day?

Daily needs depend on age, sex, pregnancy, lactation, health, and other factors. Use the requirement table on this page for general guidance.

Are high Vitamin B12 foods safe for everyone?

Food sources are suitable for many people, but medical conditions, medicines, allergies, supplements, and pregnancy can change what is safe.

Foodmanac nutrient guide

100 Foods High In Vitamin B12 With Benefits, Daily Needs and Warnings

Vitamin B12 helps make red blood cells, supports nerves, and helps the body make DNA.

Use this page to understand Vitamin B12 benefits, daily requirements, safety notes, and the top Foodmanac food sources.

See top Vitamin B12 foods Daily needs table Warnings

Vitamin B12 benefits in the body

Supports normal red blood cell formation.
Helps maintain nerve function.
Supports DNA production.
Works with folate in important body pathways.
Helps prevent deficiency when intake and absorption are adequate.

Who should pay attention?

Animal foods are the main natural sources.
Vegan diets need fortified foods or supplements.
Older adults may absorb less vitamin B12 from food.
Some stomach medicines and medical conditions can affect absorption.

How to use this list

Compare foods by measured database values.
Choose foods that fit your diet and culture.
Check serving size before judging a food.
Use medical advice for disease-specific diets.

Vitamin B12 daily body requirements

Daily needs change by age, sex, pregnancy, lactation, body size, health, medicines, and activity. The table gives general U.S. reference values for healthy people.

Vitamin B12 daily requirements by age, sex, and life stage
Group	Recommended intake
Children 1–3 years	0.9 mcg/day
Children 4–8 years	1.2 mcg/day
Ages 9–13 years	1.8 mcg/day
Ages 14+ years	2.4 mcg/day
Pregnancy	2.6 mcg/day
Lactation	2.8 mcg/day

These values are education guidance, not a personal prescription. Your clinician can adjust targets for medical conditions.

Vitamin B12 warnings and safe-use notes

Deficiency can cause anemia and nerve problems.
Vegan diets need reliable B12 sources.
Do not ignore numbness, tingling, weakness, or unexplained fatigue.
A clinician can test status and choose the right form if needed.

Before you use the food ranking

A high value in the table does not automatically make a food best for everyone. Calories, allergies, sodium, added sugar, preparation, and portion size also matter.

Also, some foods are rich because they are dried, concentrated, fortified, or cooked. Compare similar serving sizes before making a meal decision.

Top 100 Foods High In Vitamin B12

Foodmanac ranks these foods from the database nutrient values available for this nutrient. Amounts are shown exactly as stored in the food record.

Top foods ranked by Vitamin B12 amount
Rank	Food source	Vitamin B12 amount
1	Mollusks, clam, mixed species, cooked, moist heat	98.90000000 µg
2	Beef, New Zealand, imported, variety meats and by-products liver, cooked, boiled	96.00000000 µg
3	Lamb, variety meats and by-products, liver, raw	90.00000000 µg
4	Lamb, variety meats and by-products, liver, cooked, pan-fried	85.70000000 µg
5	Veal, variety meats and by-products, liver, cooked, braised	84.60000000 µg
6	Beef, New Zealand, imported, variety meats and by-products, liver, raw	84.50000000 µg
7	Beef, variety meats and by-products, liver, cooked, pan-fried	83.10000000 µg
8	Liver, beef	82.50000000 µg
9	Lamb, variety meats and by-products, kidneys, cooked, braised	78.90000000 µg
10	Lamb, variety meats and by-products, liver, cooked, braised	76.50000000 µg
11	Veal, variety meats and by-products, liver, cooked, pan-fried	72.50000000 µg
12	Moose, liver, braised (Alaska Native)	71.00000000 µg
13	Beef, variety meats and by-products, liver, cooked, braised	70.60000000 µg
14	Veal, variety meats and by-products, liver, raw	59.80000000 µg
15	Beef, variety meats and by-products, liver, raw	59.30000000 µg
16	Lamb, New Zealand, imported, liver, raw	59.00000000 µg
17	Lamb, New Zealand, imported, liver, cooked, soaked and fried	57.50000000 µg
18	Fish, whitefish, eggs (Alaska Native)	56.40000000 µg
19	Lamb, New Zealand, imported, kidney, cooked, soaked and fried	55.60000000 µg
20	Goose, liver, raw	54.00000000 µg
21	Duck, domesticated, liver, raw	54.00000000 µg
22	Lamb, variety meats and by-products, kidneys, raw	52.40000000 µg
23	Liver, beef or calves, and onions	50.70000000 µg
24	Lamb, New Zealand, imported, kidney, raw	50.40000000 µg
25	Mollusks, clam, mixed species, cooked, breaded and fried	40.30000000 µg
26	Veal, variety meats and by-products, kidneys, cooked, braised	36.90000000 µg
27	Mollusks, octopus, common, cooked, moist heat	36.00000000 µg
28	Mollusks, oyster, Pacific, cooked, moist heat	28.80000000 µg
29	Fish, salmon, chum, dried (Alaska Native)	28.60000000 µg
30	Veal, variety meats and by-products, kidneys, raw	28.20000000 µg
31	Turkey, all classes, liver, cooked, simmered	28.20000000 µg
32	Beef, New Zealand, imported, variety meats and by-products, kidney, raw	27.70000000 µg
33	Beef, variety meats and by-products, kidneys, raw	27.50000000 µg
34	Pork, fresh, variety meats and by-products, liver, raw	26.00000000 µg
35	Beef, variety meats and by-products, kidneys, cooked, simmered	24.90000000 µg
36	Kidney	24.70000000 µg
37	Liver cheese, pork	24.60000000 µg
38	Mollusks, oyster, eastern, farmed, cooked, dry heat	24.30000000 µg
39	Lamb, variety meats and by-products, brain, cooked, pan-fried	24.10000000 µg
40	Mollusks, mussel, blue, cooked, moist heat	24.00000000 µg
41	Steelhead trout, dried, flesh (Shoshone Bannock)	22.40000000 µg
42	Beef, New Zealand, imported, variety meats and by-products, kidney, cooked, boiled	21.40000000 µg
43	Veal, variety meats and by-products, brain, cooked, pan-fried	21.30000000 µg
44	Chicken, liver, all classes, cooked, pan-fried	21.10000000 µg
45	Oysters, canned	20.80000000 µg
46	Cereals ready-to-eat, RALSTON Enriched Wheat Bran flakes	20.70000000 µg
47	Liverwurst	20.10000000 µg
48	Braunschweiger (a liver sausage), pork	20.10000000 µg
49	Fish, caviar, black and red, granular	20.00000000 µg
50	Mollusks, octopus, common, raw	20.00000000 µg
51	Caviar	20.00000000 µg
52	Turkey, all classes, liver, raw	19.70000000 µg
53	Mollusks, oyster, eastern, canned	19.10000000 µg
54	Smelt, dried (Alaska Native)	19.10000000 µg
55	Fish, mackerel, Atlantic, cooked, dry heat	19.00000000 µg
56	Oscar Mayer, Braunschweiger Liver Sausage (sliced)	18.80000000 µg
57	Fish, herring, Atlantic, kippered	18.70000000 µg
58	Pork, fresh, variety meats and by-products, liver, cooked, braised	18.70000000 µg
59	Mollusks, clam, mixed species, canned, drained solids	18.60000000 µg
60	Fish, whitefish, dried (Alaska Native)	18.40000000 µg
61	Salmon, red (sockeye), filets with skin, smoked (Alaska Native)	18.10000000 µg
62	Mollusks, whelk, unspecified, cooked, moist heat	18.10000000 µg
63	Fish, mackerel, king, cooked, dry heat	18.00000000 µg
64	Mollusks, oyster, eastern, wild, cooked, moist heat	17.50000000 µg
65	Veal, variety meats and by-products, pancreas, cooked, braised	17.30000000 µg
66	Pork, fresh, variety meats and by-products, pancreas, cooked, braised	17.10000000 µg
67	Chicken, liver, all classes, cooked, simmered	16.80000000 µg
68	Chicken, liver, all classes, raw	16.60000000 µg
69	Beef, variety meats and by-products, pancreas, cooked, braised	16.60000000 µg
70	Pork, fresh, variety meats and by-products, pancreas, raw	16.40000000 µg
71	Mollusks, oyster, eastern, farmed, raw	16.20000000 µg
72	Mollusks, oyster, Pacific, raw	16.00000000 µg
73	Turkey, whole, giblets, cooked, simmered	15.90000000 µg
74	Fish, mackerel, king, raw	15.60000000 µg
75	Mollusks, oyster, eastern, cooked, breaded and fried	15.60000000 µg
76	Beef, variety meats and by-products, brain, cooked, pan-fried	15.20000000 µg
77	Caribou, shoulder meat, dried (Alaska Native)	15.10000000 µg
78	Liver, chicken	15.10000000 µg
79	Veal, variety meats and by-products, heart, cooked, braised	14.50000000 µg
80	Beef, variety meats and by-products, pancreas, raw	14.00000000 µg
81	Turkey, all classes, heart, cooked, simmered	13.90000000 µg
82	Veal, variety meats and by-products, heart, raw	13.80000000 µg
83	Fish, herring, Atlantic, raw	13.70000000 µg
84	Liverwurst spread	13.50000000 µg
85	Liver sausage, liverwurst, pork	13.50000000 µg
86	Veal, variety meats and by-products, pancreas, raw	13.40000000 µg
87	Turkey, all classes, heart, raw	13.30000000 µg
88	Chicken, broilers or fryers, giblets, cooked, fried	13.30000000 µg
89	Turkey, whole, giblets, raw	13.10000000 µg
90	Fish, herring, Atlantic, cooked, dry heat	13.10000000 µg
91	Chicken, capons, giblets, raw	13.00000000 µg
92	Octopus	13.00000000 µg
93	Fish, herring	12.90000000 µg
94	Mussels	12.90000000 µg
95	Mollusks, oyster, eastern, wild, cooked, dry heat	12.90000000 µg
96	Clams, canned	12.70000000 µg
97	Anchovies, canned in olive oil, with salt, drained	12.60000000 µg
98	Veal, variety meats and by-products, brain, raw	12.20000000 µg
99	Clams, steamed or boiled	12.10000000 µg
100	Mollusks, mussel, blue, raw	12.00000000 µg

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Vitamin B12 do in the body?

Vitamin B12 helps make red blood cells, supports nerves, and helps the body make DNA.

How much Vitamin B12 do I need each day?

Your need depends on age, sex, pregnancy, lactation, health, medicines, and other factors. Use the table above for general daily reference values.

Which foods contain the most Vitamin B12?

The table ranks foods by Foodmanac database values. Always compare serving size and preparation before choosing a food.

Can too much Vitamin B12 be harmful?

Yes, excessive intake can be unsafe for some nutrients, supplements, and health conditions. Review the warnings above and seek medical advice when needed.

References

Foodmanac uses database values for rankings. Daily needs and warning notes are based on public nutrition references.