Zinc and vitamin B12 rich foods.

B12 only comes from animal products, i.e. meat, poultry, fish, dairy, and eggs, so if you're lacto-ovo, you can get B12 from eggs, milk, yogurt, cheese, ect.

However, if you are vegan, you'll need to eat fortified foods, such as soy/rice milks, cereals, and nutritional yeast.

Good zinc sources: pumpkin seeds, legumes (especially lima beans.....ew; and soybeans....yum), mushrooms, pecans, sunflower seeds, and whole grains.

There is one vegan food source of B12 that I know of and that's sea vegetables. It is also found in the herbs alfalfa and hops (beer anyone?). I'm not sure that there would be a significant source in beer...I was just joking about that. Besides that, just look for B12 fortified foods like Maka said.

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Originally Posted by MakaIsDeprived

B12 only comes from animal products, i.e. meat, poultry, fish, dairy, and eggs, so if you're lacto-ovo, you can get B12 from eggs, milk, yogurt, cheese, ect.

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Unfortunately as I understand it this is not correct. B12 comes from bacteria usually present in the soil. Due to modern farming practices ( use of artificial fertilizers and pesticides as well as the practice of mono-cropping) the bacteria are typically not as numerous as they once were in the farm land. The reason the animal products are still rich in B12 is due to the animals intake of foods covered in dirt hence the bacteria. The fields that grow the food that most animals graze on are not as treated and animals typically consume ALOT of the grain etc.

http://www.pamrotella.com/health/b12.html

For some more information regarding this.

Sorry not trying to call anyone out or anything just wanting to clear up the facts.

Randy

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Originally Posted by randy5235

Unfortunately as I understand it this is not correct. B12 comes from bacteria usually present in the soil.

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Yes, that's true. The only reliable source now, because of soil degradation and washing of produce, is animal products. That's probably what makaisdeprived meant.

As for B12 and sea vegetables, it's debatable. I've heard a lot of stuff on that and I'm not convinced (it may be a b12 analogue, which could actually affect your absorption of REAL b12).

If you're vegan, I'd suggest a supplement. B12 is often fortified in plant milks and cereal, but it can't hurt to take a supplement. Your body stores B12, so you don't need to obsess about getting it every day, but if you take a supplement once a week, for example, that should cover you.

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Originally Posted by rockindancer86

As for B12 and sea vegetables, it's debatable. I've heard a lot of stuff on that and I'm not convinced (it may be a b12 analogue, which could actually affect your absorption of REAL b12).

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No, it's not debatable. No seaweed has been proven to contain active B12 to any significant degree. None, absolutely none. The only ways to get enough active vegan B12 are through supplements, fortified foods and injections. See http://www.veganhealth.org/b12/plant for a sobering summary of the research on this.

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If you're vegan, I'd suggest a supplement. B12 is often fortified in plant milks and cereal, but it can't hurt to take a supplement. Your body stores B12, so you don't need to obsess about getting it every day, but if you take a supplement once a week, for example, that should cover you.

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The safest option is to make sure you get a little every day. It doesn't have to be a lot (10 micrograms in one dose or 2.5 micrograms twice), but B12 absorption is more efficient when you take a small dose often than when you take a megadose less often. See http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/b12/rechttp://www.veganhealth.org/articles/b12/rec

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Originally Posted by Indian Summer

The safest option is to make sure you get a little every day. It doesn't have to be a lot (10 micrograms in one dose or 2.5 micrograms twice), but B12 absorption is more efficient when you take a small dose often than when you take a megadose less often. See http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/b12/rechttp://www.veganhealth.org/articles/b12/rec

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Sorry, I should have mentioned I meant in addition to fortified foods. So you'd be getting some daily regardless.

As for b12 in plant foods, it says directly on that Vegan Health website that while we definitely shouldn't rely on them for B12 because it's uncertain, it's definitely possible that they do, in fact, contain acceptable levels. That said, no, until it's proven we shouldn't rely on that. I should have been clearer in my first post.

That vegan health page is also terribly confusing.