Hops (Humulus Lupulus), beer & B12

[Korn]

According to this site, 1 litre of beer contains 27.3% of your daily need for B12. That's interesting, because alcohol kills B12, and beer still contains it, probably (partially) since it is made out of hops.

Hops are not just a beer ingredient (as you can read more about here ).

I have recently learned that there are several sites that claims that hops can be used as a B12 source (more about that later). Personally I don't know much about hops... anyone in here who does? Our garden is full of hops, we actually have a hard time with it, because it grows so fast: it literally climbs up on our balcony and more or less jumps into the plates we are eating dinner from. We have been searching for plant based B12 sources for a while, but it seems that at least one of these (hops) is searching for us too...

[negavert]

I know this is an old thread (just registered not too long ago), however;
I'll drink to that! (raises beer glass in air)

[Korn]

There's a comment about beer, B12 (and bowling!) here.

And there's more to read about B12 in beer at brewersofeurope.org:

Like bread, which is also made from cereal, beer is a good source of many vitamins which are essential for life. To make beer the barley is sprouted first (malted) which actually increases the nutritional value of the cereals used. Beer is particularly rich in most of the B type vitamins for example niacin, riboflavin (B2), pyridoxine (B6) folate (B9) and Cobalamin (B12). For those vegetarians who enjoy drinking beer this is a natural source of B12. (Table 1 shows the percentage of the recommended daily intake of certain vitamins and minerals found in half a litre of beer.)
As well as adding to a healthy diet, the vitamins and minerals in beer may confer additional health benefits. Recent research suggests that the B vitamins (B6, B9 and B12) may give beer drinkers additional protection against cardiovascular disease compared to drinkers of wine or spirits59. Population studies in USA, UK, France, Spain and the Czech Republic all confirm that moderate beer consumption, in contrast to other alcoholic drinks, reduces homocysteine levels and suggest that this may be due to beer’s high B vitamin content. High homocysteine levels, like “bad cholesterol” (LDL), are associated with a higher risk of heart attacks. Clinical research is underway to examine whether the folate in beer can reduce homocysteine levels.

Average contents per half litre of beer*
B12 Cobalamin 0.9 micrograms


% of recommended daily intake per
half litre of beer** : 50%

B12 Cobalamin 0.9 micrograms

I don't know where they got the information about 1.8 mcg being the daily requirement of B12, and also, they don't seem to mention that alcohol is said to - even in small amounts - destroy vitamins B12.