B12 Food Sources

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Although food sources of B12 are considerably many and varied, most happen to be (if not all true sources) proteins, which means animal products. This is why so many vegans and vegetarians are at risk for a B12 deficiency. However, those items high in B12 are also fairly well known for their ability to add toxicity to the body. The RDA does not recommend much red meat or seafood high in mercury as part of the daily diet, but these are the items which possess the highest B12 values.

For example the items which are highest in the amount of B12 would be canned mollusks and clams in liquid – averaging 500 mcg of B12 (They average around 134 mcg of B12 if in a raw, unprocessed state). These widely popular foods are often extremely high in mercury and can actually be detrimental to your health if you eat too many.

Same sort of problems occur with meat. The meats highest in B12 would be lamb, beef and moose variety meats, by-products and internal organs such as kidneys, liver and even the brain (cooked and uncooked). These items average between 130 mcg to 85 mcg of B12 per type of protein. Most of these meat items however are too high in toxins to be consumed on a daily basis. In fact eating too many of these items too often will result in the individual developing a case of gout – arthritis like stiffening of the joints caused by the buildup of too many uric acid crystals.

Surprisingly however there are items which are both high in B12 and are safer to eat on a regular basis. Certain Alaskan fish such as whitefish and eggs each contain around 108 mcg of B12, while also providing omega-3s, healthy cholesterol and even choline. These are the sorts of items which may replace the unhealthier version of protein in your diet while delivering optimum dosages of the vitamin.

Ocean fish brings much less B12 – averaging around 2 mcgs of the vitamins. This is about the same as most cheeses, lean young fresh ground meat, crustaceans, and whey. The best option for a B12 rich diet is to consume plenty of dairy, egg and healthy fish sources very often, while enjoying the hotdog, the burger, the liver spread, ocean fish and mollusks should be left for a treat to keep your system healthy and strong.