Do vegans need to take vitamin B12? Again and again, discussions arise between vegans and meat eaters in which dangerous half-truths are thrown around. Suddenly, everyone becomes a health scientist - either to Convince meat eaters or to be able to continue eating meat. But what is vitamin B12 anyway? And do vegans really need to supplement it?
The answer - and everything worth knowing about the Vitamin B12 - I would like to give you in this article with the hand. Let's go!
Do vegans need to take vitamin B12?
It is true that vitamin B12 produced by bacteria is found in the necessary quantities only in animal foods. There are also some mushrooms and algae with vitamin B12, but its variety cannot be used as a coenzyme in our body. But the vitamin does not come from meat itself, as the meat industry has been telling us for decades to perpetuate the need to eat meat. Vitamin B12 has existed in the soil for thousands of years. For example, whenever you pulled a carrot out of the ground and ate it, you automatically consumed vitamin B12.
However, as many of our foods are now disinfected and processed in elaborate processes, they lose this original vitamin. Unfortunately, our body is not able to produce it itself. And that is exactly why we must Vegans take it as a dietary supplement to useven though, at around 4.0 micrograms per day₁, we actually only need vanishingly small amounts for the body's own cell divisions metabolic processes. But vegans are not the only ones who need to supplement their diet. Animals like cows also get the vitamin as a dietary supplement in their feed - and then pass it on to you in the form of their body parts on your plate.
Whether vegan or meat eater, ultimately we all need to supplement vitamin B12 - whether in direct or indirect form. Fortunately, more and more foods are being supplemented with vitamin 12. For example, I have a favorite vegan cheese that does. This gives me hope that in the future no one will need to supplement vitamin B12.
I can recommend this vitamin B12 supplement to you*
Tip: In our nutrient article on Vitamin B12 you will find more information worth knowing and you can go even more in depth.
We all need to supplement vitamin B12
It's amazing how many people are suddenly concerned about the health of vegans and vegetarians, while they themselves indulge in meat that has been treated with antibiotics from the Factory farming is loaded and triples the likelihood of heart disease compared to a plant-based diet.₂
But anyone who takes a close look at the subject of vitamin B12 will find that it is not a logical reason to continue to support the exploitation of animals for one's own taste buds.
Do you have questions or suggestions on the topic of vitamin B12 and possible malnutrition? Then just write me a comment.
Stay curious,
PS.: You need even more motivation to be completely convinced about veganism? Then definitely check out this Documentaries for vegans an.
References:
₁ Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung e.V.: Vitamin B12 (Cobalamine), available at https://www.dge.de/wissenschaft/referenzwerte/vitamin-b12. [28.07.2020].
₂ National Institutes of Health: Eating red meat daily triples heart disease-related chemical (Accessed 08 Jan. 2019), Available from: https://t1p.de/avcc. [07.05.2020].
