Vegetarianism Stack Exchange
Vegetarianism Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [b12]

B12 is an essential vitamin that has no reliable known plant sources, and must therefore be obtained from fortified food products and/or supplements in a vegan diet

Vitamin B12 is required by the body in trace amounts. Deficiency is very serious and may cause irreversible nerve damage or death, as well as "pernicious" anaemia. While other B-complex vitamins are not stored in the body, B12 is, so deficiency symptoms may take months or years to appear. A tell-tale symptom is tingling in extremities like hands and feet, which should trigger an immediate visit to medical service to have blood B12 levels checked.

There are no reliable non-animal natural sources of B12 that have been shown to prevent deficiency, so vegans must obtain it from fortified foods and/or supplements. Absorption decreases with age, so people over 50 are advised to have their blood levels monitored and take supplements regardless of dietary choices.

Further information may be found in

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What is a good source of Vitamin B12 for a vegan?

My understanding is that Vitamin B12 is a vitamin that vegetarians and meat eaters get from animals and animal products; how can I obtain this vitamin as a vegan? Can I live without it safely?
StackExchange What The Heck
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Where does the B12 in vitamin supplements come from?

I know that many animal products contain vitamin B12 and that it's very hard or even impossible to get enough from plant-based food. There are supplements which vegans should take. But what are these B12 supplements made of? Are they actually vegan?
Den
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Different types of B12?

I've realized that there are different types of B12 supplements. Most of them are from Cyanocobalamin, but there are also from Methylcobalamin. Does anybody know the differences or what is the best type to take?
David
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What are the best sources of vitamin B12 for vegetarians?

What are the best sources of vitamin B12 for vegetarians? Can milk and yogurt make up an adequate daily intake?
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Is Spirulina a good source of vitamin B12?

I've found mixed information online about using Spirulina as a source of vitamin B12 for humans when searching google for "Spiralina B12". For instance the first match states that Spirulina has a mix of B12 analogues which are often inactive. And…
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After how long will one see symptoms of lack of B12?

Suppose a person goes vegan and neither eats food items with B12 nor supplements, i.e., doesn't take vitamin B12 at all. After how much time will the symptoms be visible and after how much time will it cause damage to health?
Ram Keswani
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How common is it for the livestock industry to supplement B12?

In debates, the contra side often claims veganism can’t be good because vegans have to supplement B12 (appeal to nature), while the pro side sometimes claims that even carnists supplement B12 indirectly because the animals get B12 supplements. I…
unor
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When taking B12 supplements, is it a viable strategy to take higher dose every few days as opposed to lower dose every day?

As a recently converted vegan, I first wanted to try out not taking B12 supplements to see if I can get the recommended RDA from fortified foods alone. This turned out to be rather hard and I average about 70% of the RDA per day. I am interested,…
Alexander Rossa
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Is there a protocol to help vegetarians/vegan chose the right concentration for B12 supplements?

Following this question, I am wondering if there is a clear protocol/algorithm (I do not know the exact medical term) that a vegetarian/vegan can use to compute the recommended daily amount of B12 (maintenance doses). I imagine that such an…
Alexei
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Should vitamin B12 supplement be taken at a specific time of day?

I heard that vitamin B12 absorption can vary based on time of day and the most recent mealtime, and also that acid-reflux drugs might interfere with B12 absorption. What is the optimal time of day to take vitamin B12 supplement?
Nic
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Any studies linking vitamin B12, melatonin, and sleep

Is there a study out there that links vitamin B12 specifically with lowered or raised melatonin? And related to that, is there any relation to high amounts of B12, and lack of sleep or other sleep issues? I take B12, as a vegetarian, as I am…
middleagedgeezer
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Do commercial chicken's eggs contain B12?

If chickens are fed with only treated grain, where do they obtain vitamin B12 from? Are these eggs a good source of vitamin B12?
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Can too much B12 be harmful?

While I know that B12 is water-soluble vitamin and (as I understand it) it should be naturally expelled from the body, is this really the case even with continuously high intakes, eg. 1000mcg/day for a couple of months? I would like to know whether…
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What amount of vitamin B12 is required per day?

I read some questions in this site regarding B12. Some said 50 mcg was required per day, while some said 1000 mcg. While Vegan Society says 3 mcg per day atleast. What is the amount of B12 required per day to have a healthy body?
Ram Keswani
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Does rejuvelac contain B12?

The issue of B-12 deficiency is of great concern for myself and others in the community. After switching to a vegan diet, I looked for alternative sources of cobalamin. Currently, I buy nutritional yeast in bulk from various stores, sometimes take a…
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