Vitamin B12 is the only vitamin that is mainly found in animal products, which makes it hard for everyone on a plant-based diet to find alternatives that aren’t supplements. As B12 is a micro-organism, it might not be restricted to animals only, but should also be available in plants, right?
There are different opinions about it and, to be honest, I cannot say which one is true or false (it’s up to you what to believe!). But I find it very interesting and wanted to share this topic with you!
Disclaimer: This is based on my own research and opinion. Please don’t take this article as proven fact, or anything the like.
Why is vitamin B12 so important?
As we learned in part 1, we need vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin, for metabolism and it plays an important role in the production of red blood cells and DNA as well as the proper function of the central nervous system.
If you don’t get enough B12 into your diet, it will result in a deficiency, or pernicious anemia. This could mean: heart and nerve damage, fatigue and weakness, numbness of your extremities, loss of taste and mental issues like depression and paranoia.
A deficiency often doesn’t show right away. It normally takes up to 5 years, or in some cases it even shows after 20. It’s your heath and you’re responsible for it. Please make sure to get your blood tested every now and then.
How can we get vitamin B12?
As you probably know, many animal products like meat, fish, eggs and dairy contain vitamin B12. Everything you would avoid as a vegan, obviously. So I wondered, are there any plant-based foods at all??
The only foods I came across in my research, with higher amounts (but possibly not sufficient!) of B12, are edible algae such as dried purple (nori) and green laver, some varieties of mushrooms like shiitake and tempeh (but only in very small amounts).
Nori is used for making sushi rolls, by the way! Sushi for everyone, yay! But, a big but, be careful with the amounts you’re eating because Nori also contains iodine (coming up in episode 2) and overdosing that is no good (trust me, I did that, and it’s shit!).
Another option, of course, is taking supplements. Just make sure they are vegan, if you consider it.
The facts, myths or theories?
In my research, I came across 2 opinions (whether they are theories or facts, you choose) about vitamin B12.
One is saying that B12 is naturally made by microorganisms or bacteria in the soil which then get absorbed by the plant’s roots. I also heard someone saying that you can find B12 (as in microorganisms) in the outer layer of a plant. So, why aren't we getting any from our fruit and veggies then??
Apparently, our obsessive spraying, cleaning and washing of our food simply erases any vitamin B12. This would mean, if you ate 100% organic (or even better: homegrown) and non-washed food, you would be able to get B12, right? So far, so good?
Well, the other opinion is saying, it is made by anaerobic microorganisms (which means they don‘t need oxygen in order to survive) and can survive in the gastrointestinal tracts of animals. Animals have certain bacteria in their guts to transform these anaerobic microorganisms into B12, so they are able to absorb it (humans do not have these bacteria, apparently). That means, we get these microorganism into our guts, too (by eating plants), but aren't able to convert it to B12, unfortunately.
By the way, vitamin B12 survives the digestion process and therefore we find it in poo… That's how rodents get this precious vitamin. But please, don’t get the wrong idea now! It’s probably not the best, or yummiest, source… 😉
This got me thinking though. When we fertilise with dung (contains B12, right?), for instance, the plants could then absorb it and make it available to us. I actually found an article where they tried the exact same thing and it did increase the B12 levels in spinach. Unfortunately, it was by far not sufficient.
Jain - the ancient vegans
The Jain religion is widely spread over India and is, I dare say, extremely vegan. They run around with a brush which they use to sweep the floors before they sit down, careful not to crush any insects. Or some cover their mouths with a cloth to prevent accidentally swallowing little bugs.
So, I wondered again, what did they, and other Buddhist (vegan) cultures, do about B12? Unfortunately, I couldn’t get a good answer. One is saying, they’ve just “recently” adapted to this diet and were vegetarians back then. Now, with modern doctors, they take supplements. Well, that’s a dead end, I’d say…
Supplements and B12 fortified foods
The last thing I was wondering about was: If we can’t derive this vitamin from plants, how do they make vegan supplements? Of course, B12 isn’t directly an animal product, it’s a microorganism that certain bacteria in the animal guts transform to B12, right?
So, what about the vegan version then? They probably wouldn’t source it from the guts, right? What’s the other alternative: a lab, I suppose? Not sure about you, but I’m a bit suspicious about things coming out of a test tube. That’d be like yelling out “no genetically modified food!” in the streets, and in the next moment chucking in one of those pills… Mind you, the whole lab process might just be okay, and totally “natural” - this is just me being sceptic, okay? 😉
What do I do about my vitamin B12, you may ask? Well, it might shock you but I don’t really label myself with “vegan”, or even “vegetarian”. Yes, all my recipes here are plant-based, because that’s how I eat probably 97% of the time. And, yes, that means I do eat animal products (consciously sourced only), because this works out very well for me, and my body. Before I take supplements, I prefer the natural, non-vegan, way.
I'm absolutely not saying you should do that, too! Not at all! It’s your life, your rules! Don’t let anyone (including me!) tell you what’s right or wrong for you and your body. It’s really up to you what you choose and it pretty much depends on your morals and motives!
Bottom Line
I think, not everyBody is made to be vegan. And maybe, we humans aren’t supposed to be vegans at all. But, if evolution made it possible for us to digest dairy, why shouldn’t it be possible to produce our own vitamin B12 like other animals at some stage?
I guess for now, you’re left with the choice of either animal products, or taking supplements, or risking a deficiency (absolutely not recommended!) by trying out the vegan food sources mentioned earlier. If you’re keen on latter, maybe do it supervised? Maybe have your blood tested after a month, if it shows increased levels or not.
Resources
- https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/vitamin-b12-deficiency-can-be-sneaky-harmful-201301105780
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4042564/
- https://nutritionstudies.org/12-questions-answered-regarding-vitamin-b12/
- https://www.veganfoodandliving.com/vegan-diet/the-truth-about-b12-and-where-to-get-it-on-a-vegan-diet/
