Vitamin B12 is found in foods of animal origin and plants are poor sources of the essential nutrient. The major forms of vitamin B12 (cobalamin) compounds are cyanocobalamin, adenosylcobalamin, methylcobalamin and hydroxycobalamin. Vitamin B12 is considered difficult to obtain from a vegan diet as plants contain such low amounts and other sources of the vitamin are not available. Cobalamins are synthesised by microorganisms including bacteria and archaea, and as a result foods that possess the vitamin do so solely as a result of production by microorganisms. While animals require vitamin B12 plants do not and so they have no requirement to obtain or store the vitamin. However, analysis of plant material does show that it contains a small amount of the vitamin, albeit in amounts too low to sustain optimal human intakes. The best option for vegans is therefore to consume a synthetic form of the vitamin in order to maintain optimal tissue levels and prevent deficiency disease.
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