Vegan and Vegetarian Diets: Vitamin B12
The energy producing vitamin
Basic nutrition has taught that B vitamins are essential for increasing energy. Most energy drinks play on this and fill their products with these. There are eight different B vitamins—Thiamine (B1), Riboflavin (B2), Niacin (B3), Pantothenic acid (B5), Vitamin B6 (no alternate name), Biotin (B7), Folic acid/Folate (B9), and Cobalamin (Vitamin B12). Most of these vitamins contribute to providing energy, but Vitamin B12 is most known for energy production.
Vitamin B12 aids in the production of red blood cells, DNA, and maintains the health of the nervous system. Vitamin B12 also reduces the risk of macular degeneration; protects and improves memory and cognitive function (especially in older adults); prevents osteoporosis; decreases depression (it is crucial to serotonin production); improves heart health; and supports healthy hair, nail, and skin production. For pregnant women, Vitamin B12 reduces the risk of neural tube defects, miscarriage, and low birth weight.
The recommended daily value of Vitamin B12 for adults is 2.4 micrograms per day. It is easy to obtain this daily value by consuming red meat, seafood, and dairy products like milk, yogurt, eggs, and cheese. For vegans and vegetarians, supplementation is key since their diet restricts these items. People with gastrointestinal diseases (like Crohn's Disease), pernicious anemia, and the elderly are also more susceptible for Vitamin B12 deficiency. Deficiency symptoms usually take months to develop and include muscle weakness and stiffness; fatigue; low blood pressure; depression; and memory loss.
Vitamin B12 comes in several different forms—methylcobalamin, hydroxocobalamin, adenosylcobalamin, aquacoblamin, and cyanocobalamin. The most common forms are methylcobalamin (the bioactive form) and cyanocobalamin (the synthetic, more stable form). Most supplements and fortified foods will contain the cyanocobalamin form. When cyanocobalamin is consumed, the body converts it to the more usable methylcobalamin form.
Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin which means that it can be taken with or without food. Since it aids in energy production, it is recommended to take it with a glass of water in the morning (but not with any Vitamin C as it inhibits its absorption). When supplementing, keep in mind that the body can only absorb about 1-2 micrograms of Vitamin B12 at a time. Consuming higher dosages is not considered toxic, but any supplement that contains Vitamin B12 beyond this threshold will be excreted. For example, this supplement contains Vitamin B12 at an amount that is almost a thousand times what the body can feasibly absorb.
Supplementing Vitamin B12 can either be on its own or part of a multivitamin, like this one. Some plant-based foods and beverages fortify their products with Vitamin B12. For example, this oat milk contains 50% daily value of Vitamin B12. Fortified nutritional yeast is a great vegan source of Vitamin B12 (and other B vitamins) and typically contains at least 100% daily value.
What is your favorite way of getting Vitamin B12? Let us know!