Vitamin B12 is an important vitamin that functions in cellular energy production, red blood cell formation, the maintenance of healthy bone marrow, nerve cell production and support, and numerous other functions. It requires a specific compound known as "intrinsic factor" to be absorbed, and deficiency usually results in a defect in the production of intrinsic factor rather than a lack of vitamin B12. In some vegan diets, however, B12 deficiency can be caused by an actual lack of vitamin B12.
Vitamin B12 is exceptionally hard to find in plant sources. It's synthesized by bacteria in the human intestine, and is also found in animal products such as meats, eggs and dairy products. There are very few non-fortified vegetable based sources of vitamin B12 available.
Brewer's Yeast or Marmite
Brewer's yeast or Marmite is an excellent source of vitamin B12. Yeast is a single-celled organism that lives on sugars and is used in brewing and baking. When the yeast is grown in an environment with B12 present, it absorbs B12 and holds it within the structure of the organism. Marmite, which is made from brewer's yeast, has substantial amounts of vitamin B12.
Nori Seaweed
Nori seaweed has been consumed for centuries, and is often thought of as the seaweed used to make Nori rolls (sushi rolls). Because of a symbiotic relationship with B12-producing bacteria, Nori is a good source of vitamin B12. It's one of very few plant based sources of B12. It also contains large amounts of iodine and other trace minerals.
Spirulina Algae
Spirulina is an algae that is suspected to be one of the oldest living organisms on the planet. It's a species of microscopic plant life called blue-green algae, used in human diets since the 15th century. Along with a high protein value, essential fatty acids and minerals, it has a large amount of vitamin B12 due to its symbiotic relationship with bacteria that produce B12.
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