Vitamin B12 foods: Vegetarian, vegan, fish and meat

Looking for a list of the best vitamin B12 foods? From animal-based to vegan, learn everything you need to know about a healthy B12 diet here.

1. What is vitamin B12?

Vitamin B12 is a vital component of your body . With the help of this vitamin, your body regulates , among other things, cell division , blood formation , and the function of your nervous system . Because vitamin B12 is so important for you, but your body cannot produce it itself, it is crucial to supply your body with sufficient vitamin B12 every day. There are several ways to do this. First, you can choose from many foods with a high vitamin B12 content.

There are also practical vitamin B12 supplements that can help you get the vitamin you need . Decide for yourself which method of vitamin B12 intake works best for you. In any case, you should include foods containing vitamin B12 in your diet.

We've only touched on the fact that vitamin B12 is involved in a whole range of important processes. Learn more about vitamin B12 and its functions in our body in this article.

BRAINEFFECT HACK : It's especially difficult for vegans to replenish their vitamin B12 levels. That's why our VEGAN BASICS contain plenty of it.

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2.Vegan & vegetarian vitamin B12 foods

If you plan to include more vitamin B12 foods in your daily diet, the first question to consider is whether animal products are allowed on your shopping list, or whether you are vegetarian or vegan. Depending on your diet , certain vitamin B12 foods may be suitable for you.

You've probably read or heard that it's especially difficult for vegans and vegetarians to get enough vitamin B12 from their diet. [1] This is because:

• There are only a few vegan and vegetarian vitamin B12 foods:
• The vitamin content in these foods is comparatively low.

Meat , offal , and fish are considered high sources of vitamin B12 . Vegetarian foods containing vitamin B12 include eggs and all types of dairy products, including milk, butter, yogurt, cream, and curd cheese. However, the vitamin B12 levels in these foods vary greatly.

For example , 100 grams of chicken egg covers around 60 percent of your daily vitamin B12 requirement, while 100 grams of quark only covers 30 percent, and 100 grams of cow's milk only covers 13 percent.

Just with the very popular vegetarian vitamin B12 food, cheese, you should be aware of the rather strong vitamin B12 fluctuations : While 100 grams of Parmesan cheese covers 67 percent of your daily intake of vitamin B12, cream cheese only covers 33 percent.

Which foods contain vitamin B12 – for vegetarians:

If you follow a vegan diet, there are very few foods that contain vitamin B12. Unfortunately, you can't rely on the typical sources of vitamin B12—fruits and vegetables—when it comes to vitamin B12. There are no fruits or unprocessed vegetables that contain vitamin B12.

Ensuring an adequate supply of vitamin B12 through a vegan diet is therefore a challenge for you. Vegans primarily have only one choice when looking for vitamin B12 foods: fermented foods.

3. The only plant-based vitamin B12 food

If you're wondering which vitamin B12 foods are vegan, the answer is incredibly simple: almost no foods. With a purely plant-based diet, you'll have a hard time reaching your recommended daily intake of vitamin B12.

In recent years, it has been increasingly mentioned that algae contain vitamin B12 . However, the amounts are so small that they are unsuitable for a vitamin B12-rich diet. While other plant sources of vitamin B12 exist, your body unfortunately cannot process them, so they are also not a suitable source of B12.

4. Animal Vitamin B12 Food List

Vegetarians and people who eat fish and/or meat have a wide variety of foods containing vitamin B12. Fish and meat are particularly rich in vitamin B12. Generally speaking, the fattier the fish , the higher its B12 content is likely to be. Therefore, mackerel and herring are among the best vitamin B12 fish. Fish eggs , i.e., caviar , and mussels are also suitable for your B12-rich diet.

If you prefer meat for your vitamin B12 diet, you can choose from a particularly wide variety. Besides meat, animal offal, in particular, contains vitamin B12.

Which foods contain vitamin B12 – for meat eaters

If you want to follow a vegetarian diet with B12-rich foods, eggs are also an option. The egg yolk contains the majority of vitamin B12, at 2 μg per 100 grams . This amount already covers 67 percent of your daily vitamin B12 requirement.

5. Who needs to pay attention to their vitamin B12 levels?

There are several groups of people at risk of not getting enough vitamin B12 from their diet. Check now to see if you belong to one or more of these groups:

• Vegans and vegetarians
• Children and seniors
• Smokers and connoisseurs
• Athletes and high performers

If you're unable to get enough vitamin B12 from your diet over a long period of time, you should consider alternatives, such as vitamin B12 supplements. You can learn how to recognize a vitamin B12 deficiency and effectively combat it in a separate article on vitamin B12 deficiency .

BRAINEFFECT HACK : Our VEGAN BASICS are perfect for vegans, vegetarians, and anyone who doesn't get enough vitamin B12 from their regular diet. In addition to the important vitamin B12, you'll also get riboflavin, vitamin C, iron, and zinc.

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6. Supplementing vitamin B12 – useful or not?

Targeted vitamin B12 supplementation can be beneficial if you have a vitamin B12 deficiency. You can easily have this tested by a doctor. Signs of a deficiency can include persistent fatigue and difficulty concentrating.

Basically, you should know that supplementing your diet with vitamin B12 is neither dangerous nor complicated. Overdose is impossible, and taking it in solid and liquid form is incredibly easy.[2]

7. Conclusion

Whether vegan, vegetarian, or with meat and fish, whatever your diet, you can add foods containing vitamin B12 to your shopping list. If your diet doesn't meet your vitamin B12 needs long-term, it makes sense to use supplements.

8. Sources

[1] Kühne T, Bubl R. & Baumgartner R. (1991). Eur J Pediatr 150, 205–208. Maternal vegan diet causing a serious infantile neurological disorder due to vitamin B12 deficiency. [ https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF01963568 ]
[2] German Nutrition Society (2018). Can too much vitamin B12 be harmful? [ https://www.dge.de/wissenschaft/weitere-publikationen/faqs/vitaminb12/#c7183 ]