Vitamin B12 is central to energy metabolism all over your body, but it plays an especially important part in nerve cell function and blood formation. A deficiency in vitamin B12 can result in anemia. You must get vitamin B12 from your diet--your body cannot make it on its own. Fortunately, there are several foods available to help yourself ingest enough vitamin B12. In a report published by the National Academies Press, the Institutes of Medicine recommended a daily intake of 2.4 micrograms of vitamin B12. Another name you might see for vitamin B12 is cobalamin.
Meat Sources
According to the National Institutes of Health, one of the richest sources of vitamin B12 is beef liver, with 800% of your daily value in one serving. However, you must exercise caution when eating liver because it is a high cholesterol food. Other meats are natural sources of vitamin B12 as well. Seafood is another major source of vitamin B12, with clams leading the group at 190% of the daily recommended value of vitamin B12 per ounce. Wild trout, salmon, and haddock can also be consumed in order to take in adequate amounts of vitamin B12. Beef and poultry are also considered good sources.
At 10% daily value each, eggs can also be used in your vitamin B12 strategy. As with beef liver, eat these in moderation due to their high cholesterol content.
Dairy Sources
Milk, and therefore anything made from milk, contains vitamin B12. Dairy foods include butter, cheese, yogurt, and cream. Eight ounces of milk will contain 15% of the daily value, but a comparable volume of yogurt will feature a higher concentration.
Fruit/Vegetable Sources
The Vegan Society reports that fruit and vegetable sources are not effective in obtaining enough vitamin B12. Molecules similar in structure to vitamin B12, also known as vitamin B12 analogues, are found in fruits and vegetables. These may actually interfere with the absorption of vitamin B12 to some extent.
Grain Sources
Unless they are fortified, grains will generally not be adequate sources of vitamin B12. Some breakfast cereals are fortified with anywhere between 25% to 100% of the government's recommended daily value. Grain foods include oats, wheat, rye, barley and rice.
Other Sources
Those following a strict vegan diet can obtain their vitamin B12 through dietary supplements. This method can take the form of multivitamin pills, energy bars such as Power Bars or Clif Bars, or vitamin B12 fortified breakfast cereals. If you choose to use supplement pills, The Vegan Society recommends either taking 10 micrograms once per day or one microgram three times throughout the day.
The synthetic form of vitamin B12 used in supplements is commonly called cyanocobalamin.
