Vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 are both water-soluble vitamins and are considered essential in maintaining your body's health. Vitamin B6 is used by enzymes for protein metabolism, for red blood cell metabolism, to make hemoglobin and for maintaining glucose levels. Vitamin B12 is needed for blood and nerve cell maintenance and for making DNA. The for B6 in adults, both male and female, up to age 50 is 1.3 mg. For males over 50 it is 1.7 mg, and for females over 50 it is 1.5 mg. The recommended daily allowance for vitamin B12 for all adults is 2.4 mcg.
Meat and Fish
According to the Office of Dietary Supplements, a service of the National Institutes of Health, sources of vitamin B6 are chicken breast at 0.52 mg per serving, lean pork loin at 0.42 mg per serving and roast beef at 0.32 mg per serving. Meat sources that contain B12 include beef liver which has 48 mcg per slice, beef top sirloin at 2.4 mcg per serving and a double cheeseburger at 1.9 mcg. Rainbow trout contains 0.29 mg of B6 and 5.4 mcg of B12, sockeye salmon has 0.19 mg of B6 and 4.9 mcg of B12 per serving and canned, water packed, tuna contains 0.18 mg of B6 and 1.0 mcg of B12 for a 3-oz serving.
Dairy and Eggs
There are no recommended dairy or egg sources for vitamin B6, but sources of vitamin B12 include plain yogurt at 1.4 mcg per 1 cup serving; milk at 0.9 mcg per 1 cup serving; and Swiss cheese at 0.9 mcg per 3-oz. serving. One whole egg provides you with 0.6 mcg, or 10 percent of your DV, daily value.
Vegetarian Sources
Vegetarian sources include grains, legumes, fruit and vegetables. Rich sources of vitamin B6 include a baked potato at 0.7 mg per serving; one medium banana at 0.68 mg; tomato juice at 0.20 mg per 6-oz. can; and sliced avocado at 0.20 mg per 1/2 cup. Vitamin B12 is generally found only in meat and dairy products but both vitamins are available in 100 percent fortified cereals which have 2.0 mg of B6 and 6.0 mcg of B12 per serving.
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