Vitamin B-12 is required to develop and maintain red blood cells and nerve cells, as well as to make genes. Without enough vitamin B-12 through diet or supplements, you may develop health conditions associated with a deficiency in this vitamin, such as nerve damage, pernicious anemia and delayed growth and poor development in infants. Eating foods rich in vitamin B-12 will help you stay healthy.
Avoiding a Vitamin B-12 Deficiency
To avoid a deficiency in vitamin B-12, make sure your diet includes foods that are rich in this vitamin or that you take supplements that provide at least the recommended daily amount of this vitamin. According to the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements, all people age 14 years and older should get 2.4 mcg of vitamin B-12 each day. Infants and children need less of this vitamin: 0 to 6 months: 0.4 mcg; 7 to 12 months: 0.5 mcg; 1 to 3 years: 0.9 mcg; 4 to 8 years: 1.2 mcg; and 9 to 13 years: 1.8 mcg.
Clams
According to the USDA, clams are the richest dietary source of vitamin B-12. Clams contain just over 84 mcg of vitamin B-12 in each 3 oz. serving, which is 35 times more than the average recommended daily amount reported by the Office of Dietary Supplements. There are no known toxic effects of ingesting large amounts of vitamin B-12, as doses of up to 1 mg, or 1,000 mcg, daily cause no side effects.
Meats
Various types of meat are also a source of vitamin B-12. The meat richest in this vitamin is beef liver, with one 3 oz. portion providing about 70 mcg of vitamin B-12. Other cuts of beef provide only about 2 mcg, which is still approximately the recommended daily amount. Other meat sources are poultry: 1 cup each of turkey and chicken provide approximately 48 mcg and 14 mcg, respectively.
Fortified Foods
Vitamin B-12 is often added to some common foods, especially fortified breakfast cereals. For example, a 1-cup serving size of Kellogg's brand All Bran and General Mills brand Total Raisin Bran each provide 6 mcg of vitamin B-12, which is 2.5 times the recommended daily amount. Check the nutrition label on the side of the fortified food packaging to see how much of this vitamin the food you are interested in provides.
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