Thread by @GeorgeMonbiot

I’ve become slightly obsessed with vitamin B12. Many people (especially older folk) are likely to be deficient, with a particular (but not exclusive) risk for those with vegetarian or vegan diets. So I’ve done a little research into good, cheap and accessible sources.

You really want to avoid B12 deficiency. It can cause serious physical and psychological symptoms. It takes a long time to manifest, so by the time you know about it, it can be difficult to treat. Some effects can be irreversible. Everyone should take it seriously.

The source that comes out on top in my brief survey is purple laver (Porphyra spp). This pack costs £1.99 at the local Chinese supermarket. It’s much cheaper than obtaining the same quantity of B12 through eating meat. It has other nutritional benefits too.

Even if you had no other source of B12, this pack of purple laver would provide around two weeks’ supply. It re-hydrates in cold water in roughly 3 minutes. It has a slight, very mild seafoody taste.
mdpi.com/2072-6643/6/5/…

It's especially good in miso soup, but you can add it to almost any soup, stew, smoothie etc. Or you can eat it straight out of the packet.

There are plenty of other good and fairly cheap non-animal sources, such as some yeast extracts (check the ingredients, as not all of them contain it) and yeast flakes. Several brands of oat and soymilk are fortified with it.
viva.org.uk/health/be-sure…

It is false to suggest, as some people have, that you need an animal-based diet to be sufficient. Regardless of your diet, you should eat carefully. But we should resist attempts by the livestock industry and its lobbyists to promote their agenda with unfounded claims.

As it happens, the great majority of B12 supplements appear to be fed not to humans, but to livestock. baltimorepostexaminer.com/carnivores-nee…