B12 only from animals??

Hi everyone. I apologise in advance if I break any etiquette rules, I've only just registered on this forum and I've only been a vegan for a week having completely bypassed the vegetarian stage. I've been devouring books and information almost 24/7 and have joined the vegan society and buav and petauk and am completely committed to my new lifestyle. But there is one issue which is puzzling me and I wonder if anyone can help?

I have become convinced that humans are naturally meant to be able to live healthily without eating any animal products at all, but I have only just read that vitamin b12, vital to health, is ONLY available "naturally" from consuming animal products. I realise I can get b12 from a supplement and/or in fortified foods, but the fact that it is not available without the intervention of the food or supplement manufacturer, unless I consume at least a small quantity of animal products, is worrying me. Does this mean that humans were designed to consume at least some animal products in their diet in order to get this vital vitamin? Or am I missing a huge point somewhere? I really hope someone can help because I want to be able to counter any argument a non-vegan may throw at me!

Thanks in advance for any advice that may be offered.

Hi,
have you seen this thread: B12: How natural is the vegan diet??
:)

Oh, thank you so much Korn! That was a huge help.:) What a great forum this is.

Nutritional yeast is a great way to get B12 (and lots of other B vitamins) in a natural, vegan way

Since you're in the UK, an easy source of B12 is Marmite. Assuming you like it anyway :)

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flourchild

Nutritional yeast is a great way to get B12 (and lots of other B vitamins) in a natural, vegan way

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I could be wrong but I thought I read here before that it depended on which brand you use.

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flourchild

Nutritional yeast is a great way to get B12 (and lots of other B vitamins) in a natural, vegan way

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I thought it was added to the nutritional yeast?

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Marrers

I could be wrong but I thought I read here before that it depended on which brand you use.

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You're right. A lot of the B12 in nutritional yest is not bio-available and therefore not much good. A weekly supplement is the best thing you can do.

Seconding burl. There's absolutely no shame in supplementing B12, even the animals who are supposedly the best "source" are fed supplements (at least here in the US) since they don't really graze, and the unnatural diets they are fed are deficient and/or grown in depleted soil.

Find a good vegetarian supplement and take it without regret!

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Piggles

Since you're in the UK, an easy source of B12 is Marmite. Assuming you like it anyway :)

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Mmmm... Marmite! Every day I have two slices of toast with lots on it! But I also supplement with SevenSeas Multi vitamins for Vegetarians and Vegans. They carry the Vegan Society logo. I thought as I was so new at this it was better to be safe than sorry!

I think some of you may already have read this article, but let me give a link again.

Here, it is said that they have tested two separate types of laver and found there are lots of B12 in both of them.
And they had done another study in 2009, where they found that the B12 in these lavers are active. (See here)

Hope this information is useful to some of you.

Hi yeolkim, your first link doesn't seem to work.

hi, Korn, I just changed the link. Thanks.