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The Best Sources of B12

Vitamin B12, also called cobalamin, is an essential vitamin that the body cannot produce on its own, though it can be stored in the liver. Factors that can deplete B12 in the body include substance abuse problems, digestive problems and a vegetarian diet. Vitamin B12 is available naturally in many delicious meat and vegetarian foods.

  1. Beef Liver

    • Beef liver has one of the highest concentrations of vitamin B12 per serving. One 4-ounce serving provides about 42 micrograms (mcg) of B12, more than six times the recommended daily intake.

    Snapper

    • When baked or broiled, snapper provides just under 4 mcg of B12 per 4-ounce serving. This is just over two-thirds of the vitamin B12 that the body typically needs each day. A common and popular variety of snapper is the red snapper.

    Venison

    • Venison is also known as deer meat. Each 4-ounce serving of venison offers 60 percent of a person's daily B12 intake. Venison is higher in calories than beef liver or snapper, so it is a less desirable choice for those on a calorie-restricted diet.

    Vegetarian B12

    • For vegetarians, a fortified cereal can be the best way to get enough daily B12. According to a National Institutes of Health (NIH) fact sheet, a serving of cereal fortified with 100 percent of the daily value of B12 has about 6 mcg of the vitamin. For lacto-ovo vegetarians, eggs, milk, yogurt and cheese contain some vitamin B12, but in amounts that require several servings to meet the daily intake recommendation.

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