Re: Uptake of Vit. B12- Hilary?

March 5, 2002

,

As far as I know, B-12 is only produced by bacteria. It is

accumulated through the food chain by ruminants consuming plant

material that has bacteria on it, and perhaps by gut microbial

production. Some long term vegans may be able to get adequate B-12

from their own specialized flora, but that's a big MAY. Spirulina has

once been classified as a cyanobacter (type of bacterium). I suggest

that as an algae it is unique in the plant kingdom in its ability to

produce B-12.

What other plants are reputed to produce true B-12?

Portland, OR

> What this amounts to is that plants are capable of producing B12

that can be used by humans. There

> were some references to this on one of the other sites as well,

though to other plants.

--snip--

March 5, 2002

At 04:07 PM 3/5/2002 +0000, you wrote:

>). I suggest

>that as an algae it is unique in the plant kingdom in its ability to

>produce B-12.

>

>What other plants are reputed to produce true B-12?

From the USDA food database - small (very small) amounts in raw mushrooms

( 1 cup =~.04 mcg). Raw mushrooms are the only raw food listed in the

vegetable section that contain B-12! Compare that to ground, raw beef 3 oz

=~ 2.49 mcg (62 times more in beef in this case).

The USDA database also indicates that neither kelp nor spirulina have any

measurable B-12. Check out this web site which also seems to confirm the

lack of true B-12:

Regards,

-=mark=-

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