The Truth About Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is an important nutrient that helps keep the body’s nerve and blood cells healthy and helps produce DNA. A deficiency in B12 can cause lack of energy, weakness, anemia and damage to the nervous system so it is important you know about this nutrient and where you can get it.

Vitamin B12 is different from the other B vitamins because it has a more complex absorption that requires binding with hydrochloric acid and a protein known as intrinsic factor. As a result of this complex absorption process, some people may have trouble absorbing B12 from foods. However, vitamin B12 has the ability to be stored in the body, specifically the liver, for several years so a deficiency in B12 is very uncommon. If you do have a B12 deficiency it is most likely caused the inability to absorb B12 and not a dietary deficiency.

The groups of people more susceptible to a B12 deficiency are older adults (absorption issue because they lack hydrochloric acid), people with pernicious anemia (absorption issue because they lack intrinsic factor), people who have digestive disorders such as celiac or Crohn’s disease (absorption issue) and vegetarians and vegans (dietary factors).

Vitamin B12 is only produced in bacteria and no plant or animal is known to produce vitamin B12. However, most animals are able to absorb and store B12 from bacteria, which is why animal products are a large source of B12 in the American diet. However, if you are vegan or vegetarian and do not eat animal products, you can get B12 from fortified plant foods or take a supplement.

Below is a list of some plant foods that are fortified with B12:

·         Nutritional Yeast (I use Red Star brand)

·         Breakfast cereals – check the label

·         Crimini mushrooms

·         Other fortified food products – check the label

If you are or you decide to become a vegetarian or vegan, it is important to be informed about vitamin B12 because you have to pay more attention to how you are getting the nutrient (the same way meat eaters should be more cognizant of their cholesterol levels). However, don’t let this deter you from adopting a plant-based diet because it is easy to obtain adequate B12 levels without eating any animal products at all.