Vitamin B12

Daily Allowances
Food Sources

Vitamin B12 is present  in animal protein foods, including those listed in the table below.  The richest sources are liver and kidney, followed by milk, eggs, fish, cheese, and muscle meats.  When milk is pasteurized, 40% - 90% of vitamin B12 is lost.


Recommended Daily Allowances

Age

Micrograms (uG)

Infants

Newborn - 6 months 

0.3

6 months - 1 year

0.5

Children

1 - 3 years

0.7

4 - 6 years

1.0

7 - 10 years

1.4

Adolescents

11 - 18 years

2.0

Adult Males

19 - 51+ years

2.0

Adult Females

19 - 51+ years

2.0

Adult Females (pregnant)

   

2.2

Adult Females (lactating)

 

2.6


Recommended Sources of B12

FOOD

µG (Micrograms)

Beef, hamburger, 3 oz

1.77

Cheese, Edam, 1 oz

0.44

Chicken, white meat, 3 oz

0.29

Clams, canned, ½ cup

80

Crab, Dungeness, ¾ cup

10

Egg, 1

0.59

Frankfurters, 1

0.74

Halibut, baked, 3.5 oz.

1.2

Ice Cream, ½ cup

0.31

Liver, beef, 3 oz

95

Milk, 2%, 1 cup

0.89

Oysters, raw, Pacific, ½ Cup

20

Pork chop, baked, 3 oz.

0.50

Tuna, canned, 3 oz

2.8

Yogurt, low fat, plain, ½ cup

0.64

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