Health Benefits of Vitamin B12
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woman carrying a stack of books in a library
Vitamin B12 helps maintain nerve cells and red blood cells and is also an essential in making the DNA found in all cells. It's brain food. Because the nutrient is found in meat, fish and dairy, vegans and vegetarians are more susceptible to Vitamin B12 deficiency.
The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) is 2.4 μg for both men and women.
Here are the top 10 food sources of Vitamin B12 according to the USDA's National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference.
1. Clams
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clams
Whether you like them raw on the half shell or cooked in your clam chowder, three ounces of these mollusks boast 84.1 μg of Vitamin B12. A king of the superfoods, clams are also a top source of potassium and the No. 1 source of iron.
Clams are unlikely to be contaminated, and according to the Environmental Defense Fund's Seafood Selector, the farming of the most common clams in the U.S. (northern quahogs) does little ecological damage.
Recipes:
Linguine with White Clam Sauce
4. Oysters
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oysters on the half shell on ice
Another mollusk that is a good source of Vitamin B12 are oysters. Six medium oysters have 16.4 μg of Vitamin B12. A true superfood, oysters are also a top source of iron.
Wild oysters can have high amounts of contaminants, and may be harvested using destructive methods, according to Environmental Defense Fund's Seafood Selector, so stick with farmed Pacific or edible (a.k.a. European) oysters. Enjoy them on the half shell, or try these recipes:
Recipes:
Roasted Oysters with Shallots and Herbs
Oyster Chowder
Fresh Oysters with Champagne Vinaigrette
6. Crab
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crab
Three ounces of this crustacean has 9.8 μg of Vitamin B12.
According to the Environmental Defense Fund’s Seafood Selector, Dungeness and stone crab have low amounts of contaminants and fishing cause very little habitat damage. Also, if you buy red and blue king crabs, look for ones from the U.S.
Recipe:
Dungeness Crab and Mussel Chowder
8. Ready-to-Eat Cereals
cereal, vitamin b12
cereal with fruit and milk
Starting the day off with fortified cereals like Kellogg's Special K or General Mills' Total Raisin Bran have around 6.0 μg of Vitamin B12 per cup. Look at your favorite cereal's label for nutrition facts. Choose cereals made from whole grains, and skip any with lots of added sugar.
10. Herring
herring, vitamin b12
herring
These small fish offer 3.6 μg of Vitamin B12 in every three ounces.
Look for herring from the Atlantic as these fish have low amounts of contaminants, according to the Environmental Defense Fund's Seafood Selector.
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