Vegan B12 Sources

Nutritional Yeast: Nutritional yeast is an absolute powerhouse of most of the essential B vitamins. Usually, nutritional yeast is also fortified with B-12. 

Supplements: In today's highly sterilized world, vitamin B12 is mostly found in animal products such as milk, eggs, cheese, yogurt and meat. Therefore, it is wise for vegans to consider taking a supplement and / or consider eating B12 fortified foods.

Fermented Foods: Fermented foods such as kombucha, rejuvelac and sauerkraut are said to contain B12. In her book, "Soak Your Nuts," popular raw vegan author Karen Calabrese says, "I have been a vegan for over thirty years and rarely supplement with B12. I believe that the fermented foods, like sauerkraut and rejuvelac, in my diet are to credit". Popular raw vegan Jay Kordich also promotes tempeh as a source of B12.

Vegan Yogurt: Most vegan yogurts are fortified with B12 now, and they're a healthy and delicious way to get your B12.

Kombucha: You can check the labels for Kombucha, and you'll see that many brands contain a good amount of vitamin B12 (Link).

Vegan Milks:

Cereal: Many cereals are vegan by default, and they're usually fortified with B12.

Organic Produce: One significant study reveals that plants "grown on soil fertilized with cow dung showed substantially higher levels of B12 than those grown without cow dung, the increases for barley and spinach being statistically significant" (Link).

Just as humans can get B12 from organically grown greens (especially greens fertilized with manure), cows that are pasture fed are also able to get enough B12 without the need of a supplement. However, when cows are taken off the pasture, they must get their vitamin B12 from supplements (again, this is similar to humans).

Of course, cows do not wash, sterilize or spray pesticides on grass before they eat it. As a result, they have no problem getting enough B12 from organic pastures.

Natural Drinking Water: "Adventist health scientist Matt Steele wondered about this for a long time. Vitamin B12 is almost the universal product of bacterial action. So it dawned on him that it might have come from natural drinking water -- which would have had many bacteria in its catchment area. He tested the water in the Yarra River near Warburton Adventist Hospital in Australia. The river water there is good drinking quality. When he tested it, he found one litre (two pints) of the water contained the Recommended Daily Allowance of Vitamin B12" (Link).

"Mud Baths" and Bare Feet: While I don't recommend bare feet because of the possibility of stepping in infected animal feces, soil is one common source of B-12. "Recently, I met with a Jain Saint who has been living Vegan life for last 6 years. He was not aware about B-12 bacteria. I suggested him to take B-12 dosages. What he told me is unique way to take b-12 by putting legs inside soil (as you know B-12 bacteria are there in soil) for at least 2 hours, so that body skin will absorb all essential bacteria and minerals. According to him, like our body absorbs oil while massaging with it, our body will absorb what it needs. He also said that bare feet walking on the earth also helps. According to him, we should live as much as close with earth, sunlight, fresh air, fresh and organic food, less and less artificial food" (Link).

Eggs and Dairy: Another option (that is not vegan) is to add grass fed dairy and/or free range eggs into your diet.

Most Important Supplements for Vegans

Personally, I usually only take 2 supplements every day. First, I take a good multivitamin or vitamin powder. Here are a few examples of a good multivitamin:

   

Second, I add some flax or flax seed oil into my morning smoothie.

That's it! I really don't worry a lot about supplementation. 

As a side note, I also take plant enzymes whenever I eat cooked foods. Plant enzymes are not essential for nutritional needs. However, they do help with digestion.

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The following 6 essential vitamins and nutrients are available in most vegan multivitamins. 

1) Vitamin B12 (B12 is found in fortified foods. It is also in most multivitamins)

2) Vitamin D (found in sunlight, fortified foods and most multivitamins)
3) Iron (found in greens, oatmeal, raisins, cinnamon, black olives, prune juice some multivitamins)
4) Iodine (found in baked potatoes, seaweed, navy beans, beans, fortified salt, strawberries, canned corn, bananas, most multivitamins)
5) Vitamin A (found in carrots / carrot juice as beta-carotene and most multivitamins)
6) Zinc (found nuts, greens, beans and most multivitamins)

The following 4 vitamins and nutrients are not available in most multivitamins, and should be obtained through dietary or supplemental means.

1) Protein (beans, nuts, seeds, greens, vegan protein powders, etc.)
2) Omega 3 ALA (flax seeds or flax seed oil)
3) Omega 3 DHA (available in algae oil supplements - also, the human body naturally converts ALA omega 3 into DHA omega 3)
4) Calcium (found in broccoli, spinach, orange juice, carrot juice, fortified soy milk and supplements)

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Sources:

Registered Dietitian and vegan author Jack Norris has the best and most researched list of supplement recommendations for vegans that I've found. You can check the list out Here.

B12 for Vegans - Sublingual, Patch, Spray or injections?

In his groundbreaking book called "the China Study," Dr. T. Colin Campbell says, "If you do not eat any animal products for three years or more, or are pregnant or breastfeeding, you should consider taking a small B12 supplement on occasion, or going to the doctor annually to check your blood levels of B vitamins" (p. 232 the China Study).

Vitamin B12 plays a pivotal role in a person's nervous system and energy level. "B12 protects the nervous system. Without it, permanent damage can result (e.g., blindness, deafness, dementia). Fatigue, and tingling in the hands or feet, can be early signs of deficiency" (Link).

Cyanocobalamin vs. Methylcobalamin?

B12 supplements are available in either cyanocobalamin or methylcobalamin form. Methylcobalamin is proven to be more natural and better absorbed by the body (Link). "In Japan and Great Britain, cyanocobalamin has been removed from the market while methylcobalamin is available" (Link).

"The B12 Patch" 

The B12 patch is effective because it completely bypasses the digestion tract and adds B12 directly into a person's bloodstream. I've noticed a significant increase in energy when using a B-12 patch, and I think the patch is the most reliable method of taking B-12. There are many different brands available on Amazon, and the average patch is applied once or twice a week (Link). David Rainoshek of "Juice Feasting" has talked about how the B12 Patch has proven effective for increasing B12 levels (Link). Kevin Gianni from Renegade Health also promotes this patch:

Sublingual Tablets

Sublingual tablets dissolve under the tongue, which can increase absorption. "When a chemical comes in contact with the mucous membrane beneath the tongue, it diffuses through it. Because the connective tissue beneath the epithelium contains a profusion of capillaries, the substance then diffuses into them and enters the venous circulation" (Link).

"A study published in the Feb. 21, 2005 BioMed Central Family Practice, concluded that sublingual B12 was as effective as B12 injections and was more convenient to administer" (Link). Popular raw vegan author Paul Nison promotes the sublingual form of B12 (Link). Another author noted many health issues "which resolved immediately or shortly after taking B-12 shots or sublingual tablets" (Link). Many different brands are available on Amazon or even at your local health food store (Link).

Sublingual Spray

"Dr. Mercola's B12 Energy Booster" is a spray that uses "nano droplets", which are absorbed under the tongue. Dr. Mercola sells this product on his website (Link).

On her website, popular raw food author and speaker "Shazzie" says, "I think I've finally got on top of the panic attacks I used to have. That was probably due to being vegan long-term, a B12 deficiency, cured with sublingual spray. I'd always taken B12 but not sublingually, as I didn't realise the importance. I know better now" (Link).

Nutritional Yeast

"Juice Daddy" Jay Kordich has promoted Nutritional Yeast as a way to get vitamin B12. Nutritional Yeast is fortified with vitamin B12, yet it is also naturally rich in other B vitamins.

"Injections"

For those who have extreme deficiencies, monthly or weekly B12 injections may be needed. Injections are affordable and can be approved by a physician.

Traditional Pills

Most multivitamins include B-12. This is sufficient for many vegans. However, some people find that traditional pills are not absorbed as well when compared to sublingual B12 or B12 patches. (Link)

"Diet"

Many vegans say that a vegan diet naturally contains all essential vitamins, including B12, and therefore supplementation is not essential on a vegan diet. This is partially true, simply because B12 is usually added to popular vegan foods such as soy milk and cereal. Therefore, vegans who do not take supplements can still attain enough B12 from these enriched foods.

Other vegans choose to switch to a vegetarian diet (or a raw vegetarian diet), adding organic free range eggs and/or organic dairy into their diet (including raw eggs, raw milk and raw milk cheese).

For most adults, the recommended daily intake of Vitamin B12 is 2.4 micrograms per day (Link). For vitamin B12 rich foods, check out my other post Here!

In the below video, Natasha St. Michael details how a vegan diet left her B12 deficient. She said she was not properly absorbing B12 from the traditional supplement she was taking. So she is now eating animal products such as fish and eggs on a daily basis.

People who have trouble absorbing B12 from a typical pill might want to consider a sublingual pill or a B12 patch.