Vitamin b12, vegan or not

Question

I've been wondering if vitamin b12 is vegan or not. I heard that it was a natural substance or whatever that human and animal bodies made and in order to get in they must take it from animals...

i don't know if this is true or not so any help would be great.

Answer 1

Vegan.

B12 is not produced by animals, it's produced by a bacteria that lives in the guts of animals.  Meat has B12 because the cow incubates it.  Supplemental B12 is made by growing the same bacteria on a sterile, veg-friendly substrate.

It's the only nutrient not readily available on a vegan diet, so it's important to incorporate fortified foods and/or supplemental B12 in your diet.  Deficiency can be very serious, but is easy to avoid.

Answer 2

Vitamin B12 is a vitamin from bacteria. Since bacteria is vegan, then it is also vegan, but if you get it from vegan and/or fortified vegan sources.

Answer 3

Is B12 vegan? Depends upon the source of the vitamin.

B12 is usually found in animal products. It is absent in plant foods. Seaweeds and nutritional yeast were once thought to be good sources, but are *not* reliable sources of this vitamin.

The importance of vitamin B12 must not be underestimated because although your body only needs a tiny amount, it is crucial. A lack of B12 can cause neurological (nerve) damage and a type of anaemia (pernicious anaemia). Try to top up your levels every day.

But vegans get B12 from fortified cereals, fortified soymilk/ricemilk or a supplement. The B12 that is added to vegan foods and beverages is derived from microbes which synthesise B12. Well planned vegan and vegetarian diets supply adequate amounts of this nutrient. :)

Answer 4

Vitamin B12 is much easier to get from animal products.  Vegetarians tend to have B12 deficiency, unless they take supplements, but then you have to wonder where the vitamin in the supplement is coming from...

Answer 5

Ok well you need B12, believe me. I am vegetarian and I have to give myself B12 shots every month. I got so sick due to a B12 deficiency and believe me you do not want that. It is fairly common to lack in B12 when you do not eat meat. I have damage that can never be reversed. I got a speech problem from it and nerve damage. B12 is not checked in regular blood work. If you are a vegan or vegetarian you must ask you doctor to check you B12 every year. I suffered for a long time and no one knew what was wrong. I do not no if it is vegan or not. Mine is purple and i must have it, or I will get real sick again. You can die from this nessasary vitiman not being in the proper levels. Mine was at a 6, and I was told I should not be walking. I had to take shots every week and then bi weekly and so on. I will be on it probally forever. Be careful

Answer 6

There is no reliable naturally-occuring vegan source of Vitamin B12.

B12 is ultimately produced by bacteria.

Many animals host the bacteria that produce B12 but humans do not.

Dirty vegetables sometimes contain B12 due to bacteria in the dirt, but you have to eat the dirt and only a few growing regions have B12-rich soils.  Some seaweeds test as containing B12, but this may be B12-analogues rather than true B12, and varies unreliably from case to case.

Vegan B12 supplements are available and products for vegans (eg. soy milk) often have supplementary B12 added.

Answer 7

Deficiencies in Vitamin B12, a bacterial product that cannot be reliably found in plant foods, can have serious health consequences, including anemia and neurodegenerative disease. Although clinical B12 deficiency is rare in vegans, if a person has not eaten more than the daily needed amount of B12 over a long period before becoming a vegan then they may not have built up any significant store of the vitamin. In a 2002 laboratory study, more of the strict vegan participants' B12 and iron levels were compromised than those of lacto- or lacto-ovo-vegetarian participants.

The Vegan Society and Vegan Outreach, and others, recommend that vegans either consistently eat foods fortified with B12 or take a B12 supplement. Tempeh, seaweed, spirulina, organic produce, soil on unwashed vegetables, and intestinal bacteria have not been shown to be reliable sources of B12 for the dietary needs of vegans.

Answer 8

You do not have to get B12 from an animal source.  "Vegetarian Times" had an article just a few months back that addressed the importance of making sure that an individual had enough B12 in their diet and the negative effects for those that didn't.  The article suggested that everyone - vegetarian/vegan/meat eating individual take a B12 suppliment.

I have bought mine at a health food store and Whole Foods both - vegetarian/vegan diet quality (no animal products).

That isn't to say that there very well are not some sights out there on the internet that are going to suggest otherwise.  BUT - how current they are with what has recently been found out is something that would be of interest to me and should be to you as well.  This is something that has recently been found to be more and more of a problem - no matter what the diet choice - for people in the western world - and it is NOT limited to just vegetarians and vegans.

The nerve damage that it can cause along with the mental confusion, problems with sleeping - mood swings - a host of problems - - nothing to mess with because of the real damage that it can cause.

Maybe it has something to do with all the processing that we have within our food.  Maybe it has to do with pollution and other factors.  None is sure as of the last time that I talked to my doctor.  I just know that it IS a problem that is starting to show up more and more.  Taking a simple pill that you allow to disolve under your tongue (sublingual is the best way to take vitamin B12) is a small thing to do when it comes to your health.

Answer 9

you get that in fruits and veggies.

now, the suppliment artificially in a vitamin isn't.

Answer 10

Depends on what source you get it from! It's veg@n as long as what you get it from is veg@n. For example I bought some cereal earlier that contained B12. The cereal it's self is veg@n so everything is good. Also you need it to stay healthy! Make sure you get enough of it!