By: Cheyenne W, vegan blog writer for Kelly Athletics. Revised by Kelly Gibson – Do Vegans Need Vitamin B12?<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Have you heard the argument that vitamin B-12 is absent from\u00a0a plant based diet and that vegans are deficient? Many of these arguments have spread propaganda such as \u201cIf you\u00a0only eat a plant based diet, you will be deficient in B-12. Therefore you need meat and other\u00a0animal products in order to survive.\u201d But all this that has been said is completely false. It can be\u00a0possible for anyone to be deficient of B-12 regardless of what they include in their diet. Often\u00a0health problems such as gluten intolerance can lead to a B-12 deficiency. So, the question arises, do vegans get Vitamin B12 from their diet or should they supplement?<\/p>\n What exactly is Vitamin B12? \u00a0B12 belongs to the B complex of vitamins. B vitamins are necessary for energy\u00a0metabolism and other biological processes. The B12 vitamin is essential for the replications of\u00a0DNA, the formation of red blood cells and maintenance of the central nervous system. Vitamin B12 in fact is derived from a bacteria in the soil that grow the plants we eat. So, do vegans need vitamin B12 or is it in our plant-based diet already?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Extensive use of pesticides\u00a0and sanitation to the soil in which we grow our produce has diminished the soil of essential\u00a0nutrients, which has lead to an absence of B-12 in plant sources. The amount of B-12 a person\u00a0needs every day is very minimal and a person who eats animal products gets far more than they\u00a0actually need. The recommended weekly allowance of B-12 is believed to be 2,000-2500\u00a0microgram. Like any other vitamin, too much B-12 has been found to be very harmful rather\u00a0than helpful so moderation is important. There are many much healthier sources of B-12 that are free from unhealthy animal products and should be incorporated into a person\u2019s diet.<\/p>\n One\u00a0option is to take a B-12 supplement, best absorbed with methylcobalamin as pictured below. Cyanocobalamin can release cyanide into the bloodstream which can be harmful to our bodies. Be sure to get vitamins that are suitable for vegetarians\u00a0and vegans because often the capsules are made from gelatin, which is derived from the\u00a0connective tissue and bones of livestock.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Many vegan foods are fortified with B-12 such as\u00a0foods made from wheat gluten and soy beans and other vegan meat substitutes. Make sure\u00a0though that the meat substitutes are in fact vegan because often they contain eggs or milk, such\u00a0as the morning star brand. \u00a0Always check to see if they are vegan and fortified with B-12. The\u00a0most famous of the foods that are fortified with B-12 is nutritional yeast. Brewer\u2019s yeast and\u00a0nutritional yeast are often fortified with B-12 and added to various foods as a source of this\u00a0vitamin. Another great source of B-12 are fortified plant milks such as fortified soy milk.<\/p>\n Eating\u00a0vegan foods fortified with B-12 at least three times a day have been found to give the full\u00a0needed daily amount in place of supplements. B-12 supplements and foods that are fortified\u00a0with B-12 are healthy sources that do not contain any of the unfortunate health consequences\u00a0from animal derived foods. With careful planning and knowledge of nutrition, you will get every\u00a0nutrient you need to live a healthy life from a plant based diet.<\/p>\n Looking to learn more\u00a0about vegan vitamins or plant-based nutrition? Contact Me for More Info:<\/strong> <\/p>
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