How do animals make vitamin B12

Gone Peating

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Sep 16, 2018
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There are basically no plant/vegan sources of vitamin B12. This leads me to believe that animals can make their own. All animal meat is rich in B12 but if the lowest part of the food chain (plants) does not have B12 where then do the next levels of the food chain get B12 from. At least some animals must be able to create their own B12. Cows must be able to since all they eat is grass in the wild, and grass has no B12.

Why is it that humans seem to be the only animals that can’t create their own B12?
 

Sweet Meat

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Feb 7, 2021
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185

tldr - gut bacteria can produce b12 but it depends on a lot of factors whether they produce enough to keep you healthy, primarily how much cobalt is available
 

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