Vitamin b12? vitamins etc(vegetarian)?

Question

please i need to know if b12 has any animal remains in it i dont believe it does but some ppl say it does and says no it makes me confused because i plannng to strt taking them but i keep hearing stories;and is there any other vitamin supplements i should be taking

Answer 1

B12 is only produced by bacteria. The source of B12 in fortified foods and supplements is these bacteria and so they are vegan.

B12 didn't used to be a problem in vegan diets as much of the food we ate was contaminated by B12 producing bacteria. (I'm assuming you are vegan as vegetarians get B12 from eggs, milk etc).

However ,due to modern farming techniques, and stricter "sanitation standards" our soils and crops have been sterilised and plant based sources of B12 are virtually nonexistent nowadays!

Animal products are now the only reliable source of B12 as they still eat eat food that is contaminated by bacteria.

Nutritional yeast, kombucha (and other fermented drinks), yeast spreads, fortified cereals etc are all vegan sources of B12.

However, because B12 is so important to your health it is a good idea to take the occasional B12 supplement as well (just like I do!). An unhealthy vegan is a chance for omnis everywhere to leap out from behind the bushes and shove sausages in our face :)

As far as other supplements go, you can get any other nutrient such as iron, calcium etc from food sources in a vegan diet. There is no need for another supplement. However, if you feel your diet is lacking in someway, have a bloodtest done by your doctor (checking iron, folate levels etc). If these are low you can get a supplement to help. Don't take a supplement unless you know you are "deficient" in a dietary sense :) Some vitamins (especially iron) can have negative effects if taken when not needed.

Hope this helps!

Answer 2

Just consume 2-8 oz servings of Silk soy milk everyday.  It's vegan and it has 100% of the B12 you need.

Answer 3

To be sure, check out Nutritional Yeast (its grown a certain way, not from animals). Try Red Star brand. You can also get it in the bulk section of your health food store. I'd try googling it (if your're unfamiliar with it). A lot of vegans use it as sub for cheese etc. It's actually not bad and its the color of yellow mustard/golden like color flakes.

Answer 4

If you go to a health food store, the B12 vitamin should say VEGAN on it.