What are the Best Vegan B12 Sources?
by / Apr 22, 2022
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Vitamin B12 has a key role in preserving a good state of health. A lack or insufficiency of vitamin B12 can affect physical and mental health. A proper daily dose of B12 is particularly important for vegans, as vitamin B12 cannot be found in foods vegans consume. In this article, you can find all the information you need about this vitamin and the best vegan B12 sources that can ensure good health.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]
According to the Vegan Society, veganism is "a way of living, which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of and cruelty to animals for food, clothing, or any other purpose."
A person can choose to become vegan for many reasons, from the desire to protect the environment and animals to taking care of personal health or even for ethical reasons.
A vegan diet consists of plant-based foods such as fruits and vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds and excludes animal-based foods such as meat, dairy, fish, eggs, seafood and even animal-derived ingredients such as honey.
Because plant-based foods do not contain vitamin B12, vegans are more predisposed to be affected by vitamin B12 insufficiency. To prevent this from happening, vegans can use alternative sources of vitamin B12, such as supplements and fortified foods.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_single_image image="32701" img_size="large"][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]
Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin produced by bacteria, which animals eat. The vitamin B12 generated by these bacteria is absorbed and stored in the body of the animals. By consuming the meat and derived products from these animals, the human body gets the B12 it needs.
The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of vitamin B12 is 2.4 micrograms (mcg) per day for adults and teenagers. Pregnant women need 2.6 mcg and breastfeeding women 2.8 mcg of vitamin B-12 per day.
B12 has cobalt, and this is why compounds containing this vitamin are called "cobalamins".
Aside from being present in some foods, vitamin B12 is added to others and is available also as prescribed medicine and as a food supplement.
The vitamin B12 is obtained either from bacteria in laboratories – a form fit for vegans and vegetarians or by extraction from animals – a form suited for non-vegan diets.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]
Vitamin B-12 deficiency can severely impact a person's physical and mental health. Most common issues associated with this deficiency include:
From a chemical structure point of view, vitamin B12 is available in several forms. The main ones are:
Cyanocobalamin – a synthetic form obtained in the lab, difficult for the body to absorb;
Methylcobalamin – obtained from a modified form of Cyanocobalamin, this synthetic variant is the most common ingredient of vegan B12 supplements;
Hydroxocobalamin – found in animal-based products, this form converts to methylcobalamin and is used by doctors for treating established vitamin B12 deficiency.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]Our list of best B12 supplements for vegans includes:
Future Kind Vegan B12 Chewable Supplement
The company produces exclusively vegan products with high-quality ingredients. As the name suggests, these supplements are chewable, perfect if you don't like tablets or capsules. They also produce vegan vitamin B12 gummies, which have a 500 mcg content of B12 per gummy and contain a small dose of sugar.
Garden of Life Vitamin Code Raw B12 Whole Food Supplement
An established brand that sells a wide range of vegan supplements, Garden of Life produces an expensive form of vitamin B12 supplement. The high price is due to the digestive enzymes and probiotics included in this supplement, which provides 1,000 mcg of B12 per pill.
EZ Melts B12 Supplement
EZ Melts B12 are soluble, cherry-flavoured tablets that contain 2,500 mcg of B12 each. Because they melt, these B12 supplements for vegans can be taken without water and simply chewed. This supplement is perfect even if you follow a gluten-free or keto diet with a great taste, no artificial flavours, and no sugar added.
Zhou Methyl B12 Supplement
The least expensive option on our list, this supplement has a 5,000 mcg of B12 per serving, available as micro-pills. These pills are sweetened with sugar alcohol (xylitol) and are quickly dissolved in the mouth.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]Vitamin B12 is of paramount importance for your body's healthy development and functioning. Even if this vitamin is naturally available exclusively in animal-originated products, the fortified foods and the supplements containing it, specially produced for vegans, are easy to find.
Make sure you read the label of any vitamin B12 fortified foods before buying them and document yourself properly before taking a B12 supplement.
Should you need more information regarding vegan B12 sources, call me, send me an e-mail or stop by the store.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
What is Veganism?
According to the Vegan Society, veganism is "a way of living, which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of and cruelty to animals for food, clothing, or any other purpose."
A person can choose to become vegan for many reasons, from the desire to protect the environment and animals to taking care of personal health or even for ethical reasons.
A vegan diet consists of plant-based foods such as fruits and vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds and excludes animal-based foods such as meat, dairy, fish, eggs, seafood and even animal-derived ingredients such as honey.
Because plant-based foods do not contain vitamin B12, vegans are more predisposed to be affected by vitamin B12 insufficiency. To prevent this from happening, vegans can use alternative sources of vitamin B12, such as supplements and fortified foods.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_single_image image="32701" img_size="large"][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]
What is Vitamin B12?
Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin produced by bacteria, which animals eat. The vitamin B12 generated by these bacteria is absorbed and stored in the body of the animals. By consuming the meat and derived products from these animals, the human body gets the B12 it needs.
The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of vitamin B12 is 2.4 micrograms (mcg) per day for adults and teenagers. Pregnant women need 2.6 mcg and breastfeeding women 2.8 mcg of vitamin B-12 per day.
B12 has cobalt, and this is why compounds containing this vitamin are called "cobalamins".
Aside from being present in some foods, vitamin B12 is added to others and is available also as prescribed medicine and as a food supplement.
The vitamin B12 is obtained either from bacteria in laboratories – a form fit for vegans and vegetarians or by extraction from animals – a form suited for non-vegan diets.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]
The Best Vegan B12 Sources
- breakfast cereals;
- nutritional yeast;
- Nori Seaweed;
- vegan spreads;
- Chlorella;
- Tempeh;
- meat substitutes;
- fortified soy;
- non-dairy milk;
- Mushrooms.
The Main Health Benefits of Vitamin B12 are:
- contributes to the development and normal functioning of the central nervous system;
- improves the ability to think (cognitive function);
- has a key role in the formation and division of healthy red blood cells;
- prevents anaemia;
- helps the synthetisation of DNA;
- provides energy to the body;
- contributes to the prevention of congenital abnormalities;
- helps protect the eyes against macular degeneration.
Vitamin B-12 Deficiency Symptoms
Vitamin B-12 deficiency can severely impact a person's physical and mental health. Most common issues associated with this deficiency include:
- anaemia and a reduced capacity for growth and healing;
- fever and sweating;
- deficient vision and numbness;
- breathlessness and depression;
- loss of appetite and pale skin;
- weakness and fatigue;
- noise in the ears;
- digestion problems;
- mood swings.
What are the Best B12 Supplements for Vegans?
From a chemical structure point of view, vitamin B12 is available in several forms. The main ones are:
Cyanocobalamin – a synthetic form obtained in the lab, difficult for the body to absorb;
Methylcobalamin – obtained from a modified form of Cyanocobalamin, this synthetic variant is the most common ingredient of vegan B12 supplements;
Hydroxocobalamin – found in animal-based products, this form converts to methylcobalamin and is used by doctors for treating established vitamin B12 deficiency.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]Our list of best B12 supplements for vegans includes:
Future Kind Vegan B12 Chewable Supplement
The company produces exclusively vegan products with high-quality ingredients. As the name suggests, these supplements are chewable, perfect if you don't like tablets or capsules. They also produce vegan vitamin B12 gummies, which have a 500 mcg content of B12 per gummy and contain a small dose of sugar.
Garden of Life Vitamin Code Raw B12 Whole Food Supplement
An established brand that sells a wide range of vegan supplements, Garden of Life produces an expensive form of vitamin B12 supplement. The high price is due to the digestive enzymes and probiotics included in this supplement, which provides 1,000 mcg of B12 per pill.
EZ Melts B12 Supplement
EZ Melts B12 are soluble, cherry-flavoured tablets that contain 2,500 mcg of B12 each. Because they melt, these B12 supplements for vegans can be taken without water and simply chewed. This supplement is perfect even if you follow a gluten-free or keto diet with a great taste, no artificial flavours, and no sugar added.
Zhou Methyl B12 Supplement
The least expensive option on our list, this supplement has a 5,000 mcg of B12 per serving, available as micro-pills. These pills are sweetened with sugar alcohol (xylitol) and are quickly dissolved in the mouth.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]Vitamin B12 is of paramount importance for your body's healthy development and functioning. Even if this vitamin is naturally available exclusively in animal-originated products, the fortified foods and the supplements containing it, specially produced for vegans, are easy to find.
Make sure you read the label of any vitamin B12 fortified foods before buying them and document yourself properly before taking a B12 supplement.
Should you need more information regarding vegan B12 sources, call me, send me an e-mail or stop by the store.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
