Why vegans need to look to fortified foods or supplements to get vitamin B12

Info source: Extracted from http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/b12.htm


Vitamin B12 is needed for cell division and blood formation.

Neither plants nor animals make vitamin B12. Bacteria are responsible for producing vitamin B12.

Animals get their vitamin B12 from eating foods contaminated with vitamin B12 and then the animal becomes a source of vitamin B12.

Plant foods do not contain vitamin B12 except when they are contaminated by microorganisms or have vitamin B12 added to them.

Thus, vegans need to look to fortified foods or supplements to get vitamin B12 in their diet. Although recommendations for vitamin B12 are very small, a vitamin B12 deficiency is a very serious problem leading ultimately to anemia and irreversible nerve damage.

Prudent vegans will include sources of vitamin B12 in their diets. Vitamin B12 is especially important in pregnancy and lactation and for infants and children.

It is especially important for pregnant and lactating women, infants, and children to have reliable sources of vitamin B12 in their diets.