Jan 18, 20218 min read

B12 Facts. Vegan? Read on for a balanced view...

Updated: Sep 15, 2022

This blog is to raise awareness about this essential vitamin. There is no judgement about vegan, carnivore or omnivore diets here! Be open-minded! Everyone has their own views and health journey.

Don't be afraid to opt out of your current diet, give yourself the chance to change your mind. Your lifestyle and body's needs change throughout life, so switching between vegan, vegetarian and omnivore diets is likely to be healthy!

This super healthy meal contains no B12.

TIP: Swapping the tofu for tempeh (fermented tofu) will provide a tiny amount.

In this blog:

Vitamin B12 -What is it?

What is its role in the body?
Sources of B12
How much do I need?
How to people on vegan diets gain B12
Role of supplements, people and domestic animals.

This essential, water soluble vitamin, which we need in such a tiny amounts, is a hot topic in the world of health & nutrition, with the rising numbers of people on vegan diets.

When I tell people I'm a vegetarian, I'm surprised when they ask the question, "Where do you get your protein?"

The question should be "Where do you get your B12?"...

Protein is easy to source on vegan and vegetarian diets -see blog Dec 21st 2021.

I have family & friends on all kinds of diets, including vegan and nose to tail eating, so I hope you'll find this info impartial. It is quite hard to get reasonable information on B12, because so much of it is sponsored by vitamin companies or is written by believers in a particular way of eating.

I hope the following facts help raise awareness and help you make your own decisions about your health or decisions about eating animal products.

I usually recommend clients include small amounts of meat in their diet.

Vitamin B12 is produced by bacteria in soil and in the guts of animals (including humans) - For the bacteria to make B12, the soil needs to contain the mineral cobalt.

Cobalt is necessary for nitrogen fixing to occur.

Eggs are a good source of B12. Source pasture-raised eggs from small farms.

NOTE: Add a dressing with probiotics, eg: include kombucha or yoghurt.

NOTE: B12 stores in the body for a long time, up to 5 years, and we only need a tiny amount. If you take a supplement, it is unlikely that you need a supplement everyday, just as we don't need a steak every day!

Think about our ancestors, on opportunistic diets. They may have feasted on a recently hunted beast for a few days, then spent many days eating berries, roots, insects, leaves and maybe twigs etc. They didn't have one piece of meat, or an egg every day at 6pm.

B12 - richest source is beef liver

(I love this pic of one of our cattle)

NOTE:

Most Cattle, including grass fed/pasture-raised cattle are supplemented wit a range of micronutrients, including B12, especially if the soil lacks biology and or cobalt.

Soil is often supplemented with cobalt in fertilizer.

NOTE: A healthy gut microbiome is key for absorbing micronutrients into the body.

Sources of Vitamin B12:

The richest sources of vitamin B12 is beef liver. Mussels, mackerels and clams are a good source, then trout, followed by salmon and beef and tuna. Eggs are the richest non-meat source. There are small amounts in chicken, milk and cheese.

There are tiny amounts in fermented foods such as kombucha. Fortified foods also contain B12, such as in some cereals, nutritional yeast and meat substitute foods

(I'm not a fan of meat substitute foods generally, although some are better than others). Vegemite is a great source of B1, B2 & B3 & B9, but does not contain B12.

I've looked into seaweed. Some species contain contain B12 in significant amounts, (Morgan et al 1980, Arasaki and Arasaki 1983, Nisizawa 2002). However it could be hard to determine which ones to choose. Certain types of mushrooms may contain a tiny amount of B12.

How much B12 do we need?

Our bodies need 1.5- 2.4 micrograms per day, depending on age and stage of life This is really tiny. One egg and a 100g of cheese will provide enough. 100 g beef liver will provide enough B12 for a couple weeks! A handful of clams will also ensure the daily requirement is met, and 100g salmon provides 3.2 micrograms, enough B12 for a couple of days. It is not necessary to consume this vitamin daily, since it is stored the body.

For those of you who don't eat meat, due to cruelty or to reduce saturated fat, would you consider some clams or oysters?

The role of B12

B12 keeps the nerve and blood cells healthy and helps make DNA.

It is important for energy metabolism and the production of red blood cells.

Pernicious Anaemia can cause the body to be unable to absorb Vitamin B12.

A deficiency in B12 can lead to a type of anemia. Anaemia may also be the cause of the lack of absorption. Lack of B12 can create feelings of weakness, lethargy, a sore tongue, mouth ulcers. The tongue may be smooth or glossy. Obvious symptoms of deficiency are not common, but also include fatigue, memory issues, brain fog, balance problems, shortness of breath and tingling in

feet. The best way to determine your B12 level is with a blood test and talk to your doctor.

Absorbing B12

In order to absorb B12, a protein in the stomach called Intrinsic Factor is needed. Without it, the B12 cannot be absorbed and is simply excreted.
As our bodies age, it can become harder to absorb vitamins (from food and supplements), due to depleted stomach acids.
The presence of cobalt in the soil, is essential for cattle to make B12.
Generally, the body only absorbs what it needs and excretes the rest, however too much B12 may cause nausea, dizziness, anxiety and headache. The body doesn't absorb B12 from supplement cyanocobalamin very well - see the section on supplements below.
B12 derived from food is absorbed better than from supplements, is stored in the liver and can last for a few years.
A heathy gut microbiome is key to absorbing micronutrients (vitamins & minerals) into the body.
If a person stops consuming sources of B12, the body's stores can last from 3-5 years before supplies are exhausted.

For most people,

90% plant, 10% animal protein diet stands out as the most ideal way to gain sufficient B12 and a balance of nutrients for a healthy body.

Many hunter gatherer groups, were likely to consume a largely plant based/opportunistic diet, simply eating what's available.
The 90% plants way of eating has been supported by Michael Pollan who states "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants". By food, he means real food, not fake, processed food.
This way of eating includes small amounts of meat and fish; enough to gain a balance of essential nutrients (such as iron, omegas & B12).
Plenty of plant foods ensure a variety of beneficial gut flora, which will help to absorb B12 and other nutrients.
Organ meats are packed with nutrients and provide a high amount of B group vitamins, so much, that consuming these daily could provide too much and possibly create an imbalance of minerals.
B12 (unlike other B vitamins) is stored well in the body, and we only need a small amount. So animal products need only be consumed periodically, especially if it includes red meat. This is nature's way of ensuring a balance of nutrients when food sources may vary.
Research shows that early humans have consumed a varied diet and were likely opportunistic and would have eaten a variety of animal and plant foods, including insects. Humans adapted to the environment. So if meat was not available for some periods of time, then the body can store essential micronutrients until it is available again. It is also likely that most people did not regularly consume large amounts of animal protein, which typifies many current western diets, since they may have had to share a kill with a whole tribe over several days. They would have eaten wild, unadulterated meat which would have different nutrients than much modern factory raised meat. Of course there are anomaly's, such as the Masai in Africa, who consume mainly animal products.
A diet rich in plant foods was common in the Mediterranean diet (and other blue zone regions), famed for its healthy array of foods and a balanced diet.

Flexitarian!

So, if you mostly have a vegan diet, but crave some meat, egg, cheese or fish occasionally, don't feel guilty! As long as the animal source is pasture-raised, where animals have all their natural needs met - living as a herd, grass to eat, variety of grasses and weeds, or as wild fish.

I love hearing that people are choosing diets which allow freedoms to choose without guilt and being hindered by rules. Flexitarians or people who simply follow the 90% plant diet are empowered to choose what they eat depending on their bodies needs, or social setting.

My husband is an anythingarian! aka omnivore. He happily eats pretty much anything and enjoys whatever (vegetarian) meals I create. He has meat sometimes on outings. He even tried porcupine when we were trekking in Thailand, many moons ago!

Supplements.

I always recommend gaining nutrients from food first, before taking supplements. I have blood tests to determine if any changes to diet or supplements are required.

NOTE: If you do decide to take a B12 (cobalamin) supplement, be aware that are 2 types.

methylcobalamin - is naturally occurring & better absorbed

cyanocobalamin - manufactured in a lab, almost identical, however this is not so easily absorbed into the body. Check the label.

Cattle and chickens take supplements!

Did you know that most cattle and other domestic farm animals, even when pasture-raised, are provided with supplements in their feed? Cobalt is needed in the soil in order to make B12 and soils are often depleted. Even if pasture looks good, the cobalt could still be lacking. Sometimes cobalt is added with fertiliser to the paddocks, added to the feed, or provided in a lick-block. Cattle and sheep may also receive a B12 injection.

Even though the B12 from red meat is more readily absorbed by the body and is in a more natural state, either way, a supplement may be involved somewhere along the line!

How did earlier humans people gain B12 if meat was scarce, or amongst vegan & vegetarian groups?

It's possible that in these situations, people were historically living close to nature, such as hunter gatherers, and used to various minerals, from rocks and river water. They generally would have had some amount of soil and bacteria on their hands. Since we only need a small amount, and B12 is produced by a bacteria, I guess this is possible. There would have been less hand-washing and no hand sanitiser!

People may have had more bacteria on their hands from dirt, human and animal faeces in times gone by, so it's possible they had more exposure to the bacteria which forms B12? These are my own musings.

These days, people living in Western culture aren't exposed to so much dirt, or river water so animal products, ferments or a supplement are the sources of B12.

B12 is formed in the colon, too late for our bodies to absorb it and reap the benefits. Hence the need to consume it.

A true long-term vegan diet is likely to lack B12.

For many groups of people throughout history who were in largely vegetarian cultures, eggs were consumed. Yoghurt and other ferments were often included, which contain bacteria enabling the production of B12.