Q: What about B12?

A: All vitamin B12 is produced by bacteria and all animals in their natural environment get enough B12. Most species consume B12 in their diet, but ruminants such as cattle and sheep have extra stomachs which allow bacteria to produce B12 internally provided the animals are consuming enough cobalt. Our great ape relatives consume up to 5% animal products with even the gorilla consuming up to 1% as insect contamination of their natural diet of leaves and fruit. In addition, gorillas and chimps do not spray their foods with pesticides (synthetic or organic) nor wash their food nor sanitise their water. In this natural environment all the great apes get enough B12 but when taken into captivity and fed the plant foods consumed by humans they require B12 supplements to avoid risk of B12 deficiency. Like the other great apes, humans do not get enough vitamin B12 from modern sanitised plant foods and water and therefore vegans stand to benefit from fortified foods or supplements.

This does not mean that a vegan diet is somehow "unnatural" for humans, but shows how humans have used their intelligence to transform all aspects of their environment. Fortunately, along the way humans have also perfected ways of getting B12 direct from bacteria (the ultimate source of all B12) and making it available in a convenient, clean, cruelty-free form through fortified foods and supplements.

The Australian Recommended Dietary Intake of B12 is 2.0 micrograms per day (i.e. two-millionths of a gram). Although this is a minute quantity, B12 should not be underestimated as an essential nutrient, particularly for women when pregnant or breastfeeding, as an infant is reliant on its mother's B12 intake for normal development. The liver can store about 3-6 years supply of B12 so it is therefore not necessary to consume the vitamin every day, but a regular intake, at least three times a week, is highly recommended.