It's the big B, the one everyone is always talking about... B12 of course, but where do we get it!?

It always comes into question when regarding the vegan diet, just where do they get their B12? The common belief is that B12 is a vitamin most commonly found in meat. A little known fact is we can actually produce our own B12 way way down in our guts, euh! And that's actually the same for animals too, but who would want to eat smelly old guts? The problem is that it is too far down in our gut for any of the vitamin to be absorbed!

B12 can also be found in soil where it is produced by bacteria. The great trick about this is that once your luscious veggies are grown in that B12 enriched soil they'll be naturally enthused with it as they grow! One problem is that we humans use chemicals on nature and remove this half of the time. So try to eat organic or home grown where you can to get the most B12.  

The truth is it's not just a vegan problem when it comes to getting your B12. 

Naturally animals that are farmed would get their B12 from eating soil and vegetation in the earth. Although many factory farms today don't actually keep their 'livestock' outside, leaving them with a B12 deficiency as they have no soil or vegetation. Leading to VITAMIN SUPPLEMENTS, yep in fact it is common practice within the meat industry for farmers to feed their animals B12 supplements, among others. Maybe that leaves a little chuckle when it comes to the "veganism is not natural" argument.

When it comes to B12 we should all be taking supplements in some way or another, whether that be tablets or nutritional yeast. Truth is it's not easy for anyone to get their B12 but when you do it the vegan way, you're just cutting out the middle man.

Nutritional yeast is a vegan's best friend. If you don't know about it, you need to! Not only do they provide you with B12 but they also give any pasta dish a cheesy flavor just by sprinkling them into the sauce or on top.

They're also used to make vegan cheeses, commonly used with blended soaked cashew nuts for a nice cheese spread. 

 

 

A great natural plant based B12 is Floradix. I personally use this and have always found it very effective. Its available in liquid or tablet form. 

The liquid is NOT gluten free but the tablets are. Check packaging for any allergies.