Canned Fish Highest in Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)
Vitamin B12, or Cobalamin, is an essential vitamin necessary for the maintenance of the nervous system and for preventing anemia. (1) Fish is a good source of vitamin B12, but what about canned fish?
Canned fish can be a great source of vitamin B12. Canned foods are typically more affordable than fresh, with greater availability. The downside is that canned foods often have a lot of added sodium, and may be packed in less desirable oils. As such, try to choose canned fish without added salt and either packed in water or good quality olive oil.
Canned fish high in vitamin B12 includes canned oysters, clams, salmon, sardines, mackerel, crab, tuna, shrimp, cod, and anchovies. The values below are for a given serving size. 1 cup is a relatively large serving size, so if you don't usually eat this much at a time, you can simply divide the numbers in half to get the amount for half a cup (about 4 ounces).
The daily value (DV) for vitamin B12 is 2.4mcg per day. In 2016, this was reduced from 6mcg per day, because the scientific evidence shows that 2.4mcg is enough to prevent symptoms of deficiency in the majority of people. For this reason, the percentage of the daily value (%DV) may appear lower on outdated product labels. (2)
Use the nutrient ranking tool to search for fish high in vitamin B12 by a standard serving size, like 100 grams or 200 calories. For different kinds of foods, see the article on foods high in vitamin B12.
Food | Serving | Vitamin B12 |
---|---|---|
#1 Canned Eastern Oysters | 1 cup (drained) | 1291% DV 31mcg |
#2 Canned Clams | 1 cup (drained) | 1242% DV 29.8mcg |
#3 Canned Sardines | 1 cup (drained) | 555% DV 13.3mcg |
#4 Canned Mackerel | 1 cup | 549% DV 13.2mcg |
#5 Canned Salmon | 3oz | 195% DV 4.7mcg |
#6 Canned Blue Crab | 1 cup | 187% DV 4.5mcg |
#7 Canned Tuna | 1 cup (drained) | 175% DV 4.2mcg |
#8 Canned Shrimp | per cup | 39% DV 0.9mcg |
#9 Canned Cod | 3 oz | 37% DV 0.9mcg |
#10 Canned Anchovies | 5 anchovies | 7% DV 0.2mcg |
How Much Vitamin B12 Do You need?
The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for Vitamin B12 ranges from 0.4 to 2.8mcg per day. The daily value (DV) for vitamin B12 is 2.4mcg per day. (2) In 2016, this was reduced from 6mcg per day, because the scientific evidence shows that 2.4mcg is enough to prevent symptoms of deficiency in the majority of people.
Life Stage | RDA |
---|---|
Infants* | |
0-6 months old | 0.4mcg |
7-12 months old | 0.5mcg |
Children | |
1-3 years old | 0.9mcg |
4-8 years old | 1.2mcg |
Males | |
9-13 years old | 1.8mcg |
14-18 years old | 2.4mcg |
19-50 years old | 2.4mcg |
50+ years old | 2.4mcg |
Females | |
9-13 years old | 1.8mcg |
14-18 years old | 2.4mcg |
19-50 years old | 2.4mcg |
50+ years old | 2.4mcg |
Pregnancy | |
14-18 years old | 2.6mcg |
18+ years old | 2.6mcg |
Lactation | |
14-18 years old | 2.8mcg |
18+ years old | 2.8mcg |
Source: Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin B12.
About the Data
Data for the curated food lists comes from the USDA Food Data Central Repository.
You can check our data against the USDA by clicking the (Source) link at the bottom of each food listing.
Note: When checking data please be sure the serving sizes are the same. In the rare case you find any difference, please contact us and we will fix it right away.
About Nutrient Targets
Setting targets can provide a guide to healthy eating.
Some of the most popular targets include:- Daily Value (%DV) - The daily value (%DV) is a general guideline for consumption that will prevent deficiency of a particular nutrient in most people. The %DV refers to the percentage of an amount that\'s found in a single serving of a food. It also accounts for absorption factors. It is set by the U.S. FDA.
- Recommended Dietary Allowance (%RDA) - The RDA sets an average daily dietary intake level that is sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97.5%) healthy individuals. It\'s more specific than the daily value, and varies by age and gender. The RDA is set by the US National Institutes of Health.
- Reference Dietary Intake (%RDI) -The reference dietary intake is similar to the recommended daily allowance, but is specific to age and gender. The RDI for amino acids is set by the U.N. World Health Organization.
- Adequate Intake (%AI) - This value is primarily used in reference to omega-3 and omega-6 fats. The Adequate Intake is set by the U.S. Institute of Medicine. Because there is less evidence to determine the ideal targets for consumption of these nutrients, the specific amount is considered to be less reliable. Using the term Adequate Intake, rather than one of the other terms, helps to emphasize that the ideal intake of that particular nutrient has not yet been scientifically determined.
See the Guide to Recommended Daily Intakes for more information.
Want to set your own targets? Sign up for an account and set custom targets in the daily food log.From the Nutrient Ranking Tool
Use the ranking tool links below to select foods and create your own food list to share or print.
- Foods High in Vitamin B12
- Foods Low in Vitamin B12
- Vegetarian Foods High in Vitamin B12
- Dairy High in Vitamin B12
- Breakfast Cereals High in Vitamin B12
- Fast Foods High in Vitamin B12
View more nutrients with the nutrient ranking tool, or see ratios with the nutrient ratio tool.
Related
Data Sources and References
- Allen LH. Vitamin B12 in health and disease Adv Exp Med Biol. 1994;352:173-86. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4899-2575-6_14. 7832046
- U.S.FDA - Daily Value on the New Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels
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