The debate continues and confusion often reigns with this discussion. B12 and the Vegan’s needs. It is one of the areas where new Vegetarians often weaken and are talked into a non vegan supplement by their well meaning doctor. Yes it is true there are few sources of B12 (cobalamin) in a vegetarian diet, but don’t let this concern you.
I had a discussion with our Nutritionist, Laura yesterday…. we can be really candid with each other and as she knows my stand on meat eating, I can explore the role of devil’s advocate without her being concerned that I’m weakening in my position as a vegetarian. My question was simple…”If we are meant to be living on a plant based diet and there are no sources from plants, how did people survive before the use of synthesized supplements to get their B12. We pondered this for awhile and decided to continue this discussion at a later time, (when we weren’t in full service at lunchtime!).
I couldn’t let go of this and thought this would be a good foundation for a thesis down the track. Then it struck me….of course B12 isn’t plant or animal based, all of the natural Vitamin B12 in the world ultimately comes from bacteria found in the soil the plants live in. With our sterile style of living these days our food is sanitized within an inch of its life before it ever makes it to our table, no hope of any dirt finding its way into our gut…. often our plant foods are grown without the need for dirt at all!
“Neither plants nor can animals synthesize B12. But plants can be contaminated with B12 when they come in contact with soil bacteria that produce it. Animal foods are rich in B12 only because animals eat foods that are contaminated with it or because bacteria living in an animal’s intestines make it. “– From The Vegetarian Way: Total Health for You and Your Family (1996), Virginia Messina, MPH, RD, & Mark Messina, PhD p. 102
When we grew our own food and harvested our own food and possibly weren’t so obsessed with germs and cleanliness, the occasional piece of bacteria ladened dirt probably slipped down our throats… so there, it seems was my answer. Sure these days we have the advantage of better hygiene, and I’m not suggesting we eat unclean food….(after all any gardener will tell you what the best fertilizers are)….washing our veggies is a very safe option and if a supplement is needed, so be it…but……….
Considering we only need 2-3 micrograms per day and our liver, kidneys and muscles store it and most B12 is reabsorbed by the body, getting our daily dose shouldn’t be hard to manage…nutritional yeast is one great source of B12 for vegans….with a nice cheesy flavor, a teaspoon sprinkled over your salad should satisfy your B12 needs. If you are steering clear of yeasts then a good supplement is a safe and modern answer…
Isn’t it incredible that such a small amount of something plays such a key role in the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system, and for the formation of blood. Will our amazing bodies ever cease to fascinate me?
But at the end of the day, I had found the answer to my question….. I guess Nature once again is brilliant and figured we would eat a bit of dirt in our diet some of the time so B12 wouldn’t be an issue…….thanks Mother Nature, you are incredible….and my theory has confirmed my belief that we can live happily on a plant based diet….
