Herrmann W., Schorr H., Obeid R. and Geisel J. 2003. Vitamin B-12 status, particularly holotranscobalamin II and methylmalonic acid concentrations, and hyperhomocysteinemia in vegetarians. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 78 (1) 131-6. Vitamin B12 is manufactured by microorganisms (bacteria, fungi and algae) – especially bacteria in soil and water, and to some extent bacteria in the gut, although production in the gut occurs in a different area to where absorption takes place. Animals obtain B12 from food and water contaminated with these microorganisms. Plants do not require B12 and therefore have no mechanism to produce, absorb or store it. Therefore humans must obtain B12 in the diet, either from animal sources (red meat, fish, poultry, eggs and dairy products) or from fortified plant-based foods. While plants do not naturally contain B12, they may carry some through microbial contamination. Plant-eating primates such as the gorilla (and our human ancestors and many people in developing countries) obtain a plentiful supply of B12 from their consumption of plants due to the presence of insects and bacterial contamination of their plant foods and water. Some primates eat faeces and soil which may also provide a source of B12. When fed a sanitised diet, in a zoo for example, primates often develop B12 deficiency (2).

Grainy top, thinner than others, and medium dark. It has a slightly powdery texture and the salty flavour hits you before the savoury. Still enjoyable on toast. Davey G.K., Spencer E.A., Appleby P.N., Allen N.E., Knox K.H. and Key T.J. 2003. EPIC-Oxford: lifestyle characteristics and nutrient intakes in a cohort of 33 883 meat-eaters and 31 546 non meat-eaters in the UK. Public Health Nutrition. 6 (3): 259-69. Vitamin B12 deficiency may be diagnosed by measuring the levels of serum B12 or by measuring the levels of homocysteine which can accumulate to high levels in the absence of B12. However, high homocysteine levels can also be caused by folate or vitamin B6 deficiencies. Conventionally vitamin B12 deficiency is treated with a course of intramuscular injections. A B12-like compound called hydroxocobalamin is injected into the muscle every two to four days. Around six injections are given to build up stores of vitamin B12 in the liver. Blood tests are given periodically to monitor the success of the treatment (15). The association of vitamin B12 with animal foods such as fish, meat, poultry, eggs, milk and dairy products has helped create the myth that this vitamin can only be obtained from these foods and that a vegetarian or vegan diet provides a substandard amount. Consequently B12 has become a contentious issue. Concerns that vegetarians, and especially vegans, are at risk of B12 deficiency prevail even though the evidence suggests the meat-eating elderly are by far the group most likely to be deficient in B12. Furthermore, research suggests that the B12 present in meat, poultry and fish is not as easily absorbed as the B12 present in fortified vegetarian foods.

This might be because:

Morishita A., Tomita H., Takaishi Y., Nishihara M. and Kohmura E. 2005. A case of sub-acute combined degeneration of the spinal cord diagnosed by characteristic findings of magnetic resonance imaging: case report and review of 22 cases. No Shinkei Geka. 33 (5) 489-95. Mid brown with an elastic, drooping consistency. The flavour is very strong, but rounded. It does well on value as you need less. The real deal. He’s not alone in sensing this, and other readers tell me they have switched to supermarket brands which are easier to coax into an even layer over the butter. They are also a bit milder in flavour, which you may prefer, but that may translate to a tendency to use more. Sadly for thrifty shoppers, this means the cost saving is likely to be minimal. So, as the table shows, the EU recommended daily amount of B12 can be obtained for example from one slice of Meridian yeast extract on toast or one glass of B12–fortified soya milk.

B12 deficiency tends to increase with age; up to 40 per cent of the UK’s meat-eating elderly population suffers from low B12 due to a reduction in their ability to absorb this vitamin. Plant-eating primates such as the gorilla (and our human ancestors and many people in developing countries) obtain a plentiful supply of B12 from their consumption of plants due to the presence of insects and bacterial contamination of their plant foods and water Our gluten free yeast extract is full of flavour and goodness with high levels of natural protein and vitamins, including vitamin B12. A well-planned and varied vegetarian or vegan diet including B12-fortified plant-based foods not only meets our requirements but provides a healthier and safer source of vitamin B12.

All You Need To Know About Vitamin B12 in Vegetarian and Vegan Diets

In modern society, fruit and vegetable production is far more sanitised in that fruit and vegetables for sale in supermarkets are washed in chlorine. This removes the B12-producing bacteria and so vegetarians and vegans must obtain vitamin B12 from other sources, this means fortified foods. The industrial production of vitamin B12 for the fortification of foods involves fermentation with bacteria. Large-scale production is carried out using a number of bacterial species, including for example Pseudomonas denitrificans, Propionibacterium freudenreichii and Propionibacterium shermanii. Bacterial cultures are grown in huge vats for the extraction of B12. Matthews J.H. 1995. Cobalamin and folate deficiency in the elderly. Bailliere’s Clinical Haematology. 8 (3) 679-97.

B12 intakes among vegans are thought to be increasing, reflecting the increase in the number of B12-fortified products available (and a raised awareness). This will undoubtedly confer an advantage on vegans in later life who are used to ensuring B12 is present in their diet. The first jar I tried was very runny – the runniest of all – and very dark, with a slightly grainy layer on top. The texture was grainy too, and it had a weak flavour. I tasted salt, and not that much else. My second jar tasted different, less salty and quite rounded – still a bit runny but much preferred by all the tasting gang. First off, what is Marmite anyway? “The scrapings off the bottoms of beer barrels,” says my mother dismissively (she’s Team Marmalade). It turns out she is right – sort of. Yeast extract, it transpires, is a by-product of the beer industry, as every time a batch is brewed the yeast grows sevenfold, leaving a surplus. For Marmite it is shipped to the factory in Burton upon Trent, where it is heated to 95C, hot enough to kill the yeast and break it down. A clear brown yeast extract broth can then be strained off, leaving behind a cloudy porridge made up of yeast cell walls. It’s then boiled down to make the tarry brown spread we are familiar with. Very similar ingredients to the Aldi version. Although it looks much the same, runny and shiny, it has a slightly gritty texture and the flavour is salty. Sanders T.A. 1999. The nutritional adequacy of plant-based diets. The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. 58 (2) 265-9.

Popular Departments

Herbert V. 1994. Staging vitamin B12 (cobalamin) status in vegetarians. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 59 (5) 1213S-1222S.