Vitamin B12 Rich Foods (for Vegans and Omnivores)

Vitamin B12 Rich Foods (for Vegans and Omnivores)

As part of the B vitamin complex, water-soluble vitamin B12 – also known as cobalamin due to its elemental cobalt composition – plays a crucial role in your body’s natural energy production and other related biological processes.¹ B12 is the largest and most complex vitamin, which has significant implications for human health.

Due to its large chemical structure, your body cannot absorb vitamin B12 as easily as it can most other B vitamins (or other vitamins in general). Ironically, it can be stored in your body quite easily (unlike other B vitamins). Vitamin B12 can be consumed in large doses safely, as excess amounts are excreted or stored in your liver, available for use when supplies diminish. This excess B12 can last for up to a year in your body.¹

Health Benefits of Vitamin B12

B12 is vital for DNA formation and essential to processes that generate healthy blood cells and maintain proper nervous system function. It also supports red blood cell production and helps maintain cardiovascular health.

Even a minor B12 deficiency can profoundly impact your health, leading to general fatigue, muscle weakness, intestinal discomfort, and mood issues.² Long-term deficiencies may result in memory and heart problems.

Vegetarians and vegans, who consume no animal products, and the elderly, who absorb less vitamin B12, are the most at-risk groups for a deficiency. This risk is due to the natural sources of vitamin B12.

What Foods are High in Vitamin B12?

The challenge of obtaining sufficient vitamin B12 from food lies in identifying natural sources of this unique nutrient. Plants cannot produce it, and neither can animals. Only microorganisms – primarily bacteria and fungi – naturally produce vitamin B12, which is why many B12-rich foods, such as certain cereals and breads, are fortified with synthetic B12.

For vegans and vegetarians, obtaining adequate B12 without supplements is particularly challenging.

According to VeganHealth.org, “unlike animals, most, if not all, plants have no B12 requirement for any function, and therefore, lack active mechanisms to produce or store B12. When B12 is present in plants, it is usually due to contamination, which is unreliable.³

In general, because the recommended daily intake for both men and women is a modest 2.4 micrograms (women who are pregnant or breastfeeding may increase their intake to 2.8 mcg), most people can meet their needs through their daily diet and the B12 found in foods. However, since B12 is almost exclusively found in animal food sources like meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs, vegans and vegetarians – who don’t start their day with a bowl of B12-fortified cereal – might still benefit from a B12 or Real Food B-Complex supplement that is vegan and derived from quinoa sprouts.

Vitamin B12 Foods for Omnivores (Meat Eaters)

If your dinner plate regularly features a few ounces of meat, you’re likely to meet your daily B12 requirement of 2.4 mcg. Seafood – including shrimp, scallops, salmon, tuna, cod, and sardines – as well as beef, lamb, turkey, and chicken, all provide at least 16% of your daily vitamin B12 needs per serving.

Vitamin B12 Foods for Vegetarians

Vegetarians might find it more challenging to consume enough vitamin B12, but dairy foods like cottage cheese, yogurt, regular cow’s milk, eggs, and cheese can provide between 10-44% of your recommended daily intake.

Vitamin B12 Foods for Vegans

Vegans often embrace the challenge of creatively overcoming nutritional gaps from avoiding animal products. While meat products are the highest sources of B12, vegan options such as fortified soy, nut, and coconut milks, nutritional yeast, mushrooms, and tempeh are excellent sources of vegan B12.

Get the Benefits of Vitamin B12

The above B12 foods for vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores should help you meet your daily requirements of this vital, energy-producing nutrient. However, if you aren’t getting enough B12 from foods alone, consider supplementing your diet with a B complex vitamin, like BubbForest Health’s Real Food B-Complex supplement.

To learn more about the benefits of B vitamins, read Your Complete Guide to B Vitamins, and discover more ways to energize your body and mind with 10 Herbal Supplements to Boost Your Energy Levels

About Lindsey Toth, MS, RD
Registered Dietitian, BubbForest Health Products

Lindsey is a nationally-recognized registered dietitian and nutritionist with a passion for ice cream. She empowers people to take charge of their health by finding the balance between enjoyment and nourishment in food.

Her philosophy is that you should take care of your body because it’s the only permanent home you have. This belief inspired her to pursue a career in nutrition and eventually led her to BubbForest Health.

Sources

¹Vitamin B12 Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: National Institutes of Health. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB12-HealthProfessional/. (Accessed 11-30-2017)

²Vitamin B12: Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-vitamin-b12/art-20363663 (Accessed 11-30-2017)

³B12 in Plant Foods: VeganHealth.org. http://www.veganhealth.org/b12/plant. (Accessed 11-30-2017)