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

Practical foods people commonly eat when searching for foods high in Vitamin B12 are shown first. After those practical sources, Foodmanac shows other foods with the highest Vitamin B12 values in the database. The nutrient values themselves are not changed.

Common Vitamin B12 food sources first, followed by other high-Vitamin B12 foods
Rank	Food source	Vitamin B12 amount
Common practical foods with Vitamin B12
1	Mollusks, clam, mixed species, cooked, moist heat	98.9 µg
2	Beef, New Zealand, imported, variety meats and by-products liver, cooked, boiled	96 µg
3	Fish, tuna, fresh, bluefin, cooked, dry heat	10.9 µg
4	Beef, New Zealand, imported, variety meats and by-products, liver, raw	84.5 µg
5	Liver cheese, pork	24.6 µg
Other foods high in Vitamin B12
6	Lamb, variety meats and by-products, liver, raw	90 µg
7	Lamb, variety meats and by-products, liver, cooked, pan-fried	85.7 µg
8	Veal, variety meats and by-products, liver, cooked, braised	84.6 µg
9	Beef, variety meats and by-products, liver, cooked, pan-fried	83.1 µg
10	Liver, beef	82.5 µg
11	Lamb, variety meats and by-products, kidneys, cooked, braised	78.9 µg
12	Lamb, variety meats and by-products, liver, cooked, braised	76.5 µg
13	Veal, variety meats and by-products, liver, cooked, pan-fried	72.5 µg
14	Moose, liver, braised (Alaska Native)	71 µg
15	Beef, variety meats and by-products, liver, cooked, braised	70.6 µg
16	Veal, variety meats and by-products, liver, raw	59.8 µg
17	Beef, variety meats and by-products, liver, raw	59.3 µg
18	Lamb, New Zealand, imported, liver, raw	59 µg
19	Lamb, New Zealand, imported, liver, cooked, soaked and fried	57.5 µg
20	Fish, whitefish, eggs (Alaska Native)	56.4 µg
21	Lamb, New Zealand, imported, kidney, cooked, soaked and fried	55.6 µg
22	Goose, liver, raw	54 µg
23	Duck, domesticated, liver, raw	54 µg
24	Lamb, variety meats and by-products, kidneys, raw	52.4 µg
25	Liver, beef or calves, and onions	50.7 µg
26	Lamb, New Zealand, imported, kidney, raw	50.4 µg
27	Mollusks, clam, mixed species, cooked, breaded and fried	40.3 µg
28	Veal, variety meats and by-products, kidneys, cooked, braised	36.9 µg
29	Mollusks, octopus, common, cooked, moist heat	36 µg
30	Mollusks, oyster, Pacific, cooked, moist heat	28.8 µg
31	Fish, salmon, chum, dried (Alaska Native)	28.6 µg
32	Veal, variety meats and by-products, kidneys, raw	28.2 µg
33	Turkey, all classes, liver, cooked, simmered	28.2 µg
34	Beef, New Zealand, imported, variety meats and by-products, kidney, raw	27.7 µg
35	Beef, variety meats and by-products, kidneys, raw	27.5 µg
36	Pork, fresh, variety meats and by-products, liver, raw	26 µg
37	Beef, variety meats and by-products, kidneys, cooked, simmered	24.9 µg
38	Kidney	24.7 µg
39	Mollusks, oyster, eastern, farmed, cooked, dry heat	24.3 µg
40	Lamb, variety meats and by-products, brain, cooked, pan-fried	24.1 µg
41	Mollusks, mussel, blue, cooked, moist heat	24 µg
42	Steelhead trout, dried, flesh (Shoshone Bannock)	22.4 µg
43	Beef, New Zealand, imported, variety meats and by-products, kidney, cooked, boiled	21.4 µg
44	Veal, variety meats and by-products, brain, cooked, pan-fried	21.3 µg
45	Chicken, liver, all classes, cooked, pan-fried	21.1 µg
46	Oysters, canned	20.8 µg
47	Cereals ready-to-eat, RALSTON Enriched Wheat Bran flakes	20.7 µg
48	Liverwurst	20.1 µg
49	Braunschweiger (a liver sausage), pork	20.1 µg
50	Fish, caviar, black and red, granular	20 µg
51	Mollusks, octopus, common, raw	20 µg
52	Caviar	20 µg
53	Turkey, all classes, liver, raw	19.7 µg
54	Mollusks, oyster, eastern, canned	19.1 µg
55	Smelt, dried (Alaska Native)	19.1 µg
56	Fish, mackerel, Atlantic, cooked, dry heat	19 µg
57	Oscar Mayer, Braunschweiger Liver Sausage (sliced)	18.8 µg
58	Fish, herring, Atlantic, kippered	18.7 µg
59	Pork, fresh, variety meats and by-products, liver, cooked, braised	18.7 µg
60	Mollusks, clam, mixed species, canned, drained solids	18.6 µg
61	Fish, whitefish, dried (Alaska Native)	18.4 µg
62	Salmon, red (sockeye), filets with skin, smoked (Alaska Native)	18.1 µg
63	Mollusks, whelk, unspecified, cooked, moist heat	18.1 µg
64	Fish, mackerel, king, cooked, dry heat	18 µg
65	Mollusks, oyster, eastern, wild, cooked, moist heat	17.5 µg
66	Veal, variety meats and by-products, pancreas, cooked, braised	17.3 µg
67	Pork, fresh, variety meats and by-products, pancreas, cooked, braised	17.1 µg
68	Chicken, liver, all classes, cooked, simmered	16.8 µg
69	Chicken, liver, all classes, raw	16.6 µg
70	Beef, variety meats and by-products, pancreas, cooked, braised	16.6 µg
71	Pork, fresh, variety meats and by-products, pancreas, raw	16.4 µg
72	Mollusks, oyster, eastern, farmed, raw	16.2 µg
73	Mollusks, oyster, Pacific, raw	16 µg
74	Turkey, whole, giblets, cooked, simmered	15.9 µg
75	Fish, mackerel, king, raw	15.6 µg
76	Mollusks, oyster, eastern, cooked, breaded and fried	15.6 µg
77	Beef, variety meats and by-products, brain, cooked, pan-fried	15.2 µg
78	Caribou, shoulder meat, dried (Alaska Native)	15.1 µg
79	Liver, chicken	15.1 µg
80	Veal, variety meats and by-products, heart, cooked, braised	14.5 µg
81	Beef, variety meats and by-products, pancreas, raw	14 µg
82	Turkey, all classes, heart, cooked, simmered	13.9 µg
83	Veal, variety meats and by-products, heart, raw	13.8 µg
84	Fish, herring, Atlantic, raw	13.7 µg
85	Liverwurst spread	13.5 µg
86	Liver sausage, liverwurst, pork	13.5 µg
87	Veal, variety meats and by-products, pancreas, raw	13.4 µg
88	Turkey, all classes, heart, raw	13.3 µg
89	Chicken, broilers or fryers, giblets, cooked, fried	13.3 µg
90	Turkey, whole, giblets, raw	13.1 µg
91	Fish, herring, Atlantic, cooked, dry heat	13.1 µg
92	Chicken, capons, giblets, raw	13 µg
93	Octopus	13 µg
94	Fish, herring	12.9 µg
95	Mussels	12.9 µg
96	Mollusks, oyster, eastern, wild, cooked, dry heat	12.9 µg
97	Clams, canned	12.7 µg
98	Anchovies, canned in olive oil, with salt, drained	12.6 µg
99	Veal, variety meats and by-products, brain, raw	12.2 µg
100	Clams, steamed or boiled	12.1 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.