Vitamin B12:
A Guide for Teens

 

Why is Vitamin B12 important?

Vitamin B12 is needed by your body to make proteins. Most people can easily get all the vitamin B12 they need from food. Having a diet that is too low in vitamin B12 over time can cause anemia (a condition that occurs when you don't have enough healthy red blood cells) or problems with memory and confusion.

 

How much Vitamin B12 do I need every day?

The amount of vitamin B12 you need each day, or recommended daily allowance (RDA), depends on your age. Males that are 9 to 13 years old need 1.8 micrograms each day. Males that are 14 years old or older need 2.4 micrograms of vitamin B12 each day.

 

What foods are good sources for Vitamin B12?

Vitamin B12 is found naturally in animal products and is also added to certain foods. Good sources of vitamin B12 include:

• Fish and seafood
• Meat
• Poultry
• Eggs
• Cheese
• Milk
• Yogurt
• Fortified foods such as cereals

Vegans (vegetarians who do not to eat any animal products) have to work harder to get enough vitamin B12 in their diets. If you are a vegan, you should take a vitamin supplement or eat fortified foods (foods that have vitamin B12 added). Check food labels to find products that are fortified with vitamin B12 such as:

• Breakfast cereals
• Cereal bars
• Soy milk
• Some meat substitutes

You can also add nutritional yeast to soups and casseroles to get more vitamin B12.

 

The tables below lists some sources of vitamin B12, their serving size, and the micrograms of vitamin B12 per serving.

 

Dairy Products	Serving Size	Micrograms of B12 per Serving
Cow's Milk	1 cup	1.0
Cheddar Cheese	1 ounce	0.2
Ricotta Cheese	½ cup	0.4
Yogurt	1 cup	1.4

 

Fortified Foods	Serving Size	Micrograms of B12 per Serving
Cheerios®	1 cup	1.7
Special K®	1 cup	6.0
Wheaties®	1 cup	3.6
Whole Grain Total®	¾ cup	6.4
Nutritional yeast	1 tbsp	4.0

 

Meat, Poultry, Fish	Serving Size	Micrograms of B12 per Serving
Chicken breast	3 ounces	0.3
Hamburger, lean	3 ounces	2.1
Shrimp	3 ounces	1.3
Sirloin steak	3 ounces	2.4
Salmon, Atlantic	3 ounces	2.6

 

Meat Alternatives	Serving Size	Micrograms of B12 per Serving
Veggie burger	1	1.4
Morningstar Farms Chick Patty®	1	1.2
Morningstar Farms Sausage Style Recipe Crumbles®	½ cup	4.8
Tempeh	1 cup	0.1

 

Written by the CYWH and YMH Staff

 

Updated: 10/23/2009

 

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