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Can you get B12 without animal products?
The only reliable vegan sources of B12 are foods fortified with B12 (including some plant milks, some soy products and some breakfast cereals) and B12 supplements, such as our very own VEG 1. Vitamin B12, whether in supplements, fortified foods, or animal products, comes from micro-organisms.
Why can’t humans produce vitamin B12?
Vitamin B12 is not made by plants or animals, it’s made by microorganisms (bacteria). It used to be that we could get B12 from our drinking water, but since our water supply is now treated and chlorinated to kill bacteria, it no longer supplies this important nutrient.
Why is B12 a concern for vegetarians?
Unlike some other B vitamins, B12 is not found in any plant food other than fortified cereals. It is, however, abundant in many meats and fish, and in smaller amounts in milk and eggs. This makes it difficult for people following a strict vegetarian diet to get the necessary amount of vitamin B12.
How did early humans get B12?
Once our forebears began scavenging meat and bone marrow, they found themselves with a steady supply of dietary vitamin B12, which then grew in abundance when we began to hunt. It must have been during this meat-eating stage in our evolution that we began to absorb B12 in the small intestine instead of the large one.
Why is vitamin B12 important?
Vitamin B-12 (cobalamin) plays an essential role in red blood cell formation, cell metabolism, nerve function and the production of DNA, the molecules inside cells that carry genetic information. Food sources of vitamin B-12 include poultry, meat, fish and dairy products.
Why do vegans need vitamin B12?
It’s essential that all vegan diets contain a reliable source of vitamin B12. This nutrient is needed to help speed up reactions in your body, and deficiency can cause anaemia and nervous system damage.
Does B12 only come from animals?
Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient that’s almost exclusively found in animal-sourced foods, such as fish, meat, dairy products, and eggs ( 1 ).
Can humans take B12 for animals?
Can your B12 be used for humans as well as animals? Best Answer: This isn’t Vitamin B12 Methylcobalamin, which is the preferred form for humans (and technically, other animals as well). So you’re better off getting that form for human injection, or use the sublingual drops or tablets.
Do you need B12 if you are vegetarian?
Vegetarians need to make sure they get enough iron and vitamin B12, and vegans enough calcium, iron and vitamin B12. Women are thought to be at particular risk of iron deficiency, including those on a vegetarian or vegan diet.
Do animals produce B12?
B12 is synthesized by only certain bacteria and archaeon, but not by plants or animals. The synthesized B12 is transferred and accumulated in animal tissues, even in certain plant tissues via microbial interaction. Meats and milks of herbivorous ruminant animals are good sources of B12 for humans.
Which bacteria is responsible for synthesis of vitamin B12?
Only a limited number of bacteria are known to produce vitamin B12, three of which— Pseudomonas denitrificans , Bacillus megaterium , and Propionibacterium freudenreichii —are used for commercial production [46–48].
What is vitamin B12 found in?
Vitamin B12 is naturally present in foods of animal origin, including fish, meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products [5]. In addition, fortified breakfast cereals and fortified nutritional yeasts are readily available sources of vitamin B12 that have high bioavailability [12,13].