Is spirulina a good source of vitamin b12?

Alpha&Omega

I have recently switched to a vegetarian diet, and was in restore on Camden St looking for somethings I will need to supplement to prevent deficiencies like flax seeds for omega 3's which I grind and add to smoothies. The shop assistant advised me to supplement B12 and that spirulina was a good source I could add to smoothies. I spent €20 on a couple of bottles on special offer. However I've discovered that the b12 in spirulina is not bioavaliable, since it actually contains a b12 analog which prevents the real b12 from being absorbed. So was I had by the sales girl, or is it actually a good source? If it's not then what foods or supplements are?

blatantrereg

No non-animal food has been yet shown to be a useful source of vitamin B12.
Supplement with vitamin B12 pills or include fortified food if you don't get enough from eggs and dairy.

Flax is questionable as a source of omega 3s. It contains EPA. DHA is more useful. EPA is converted into DHA in our bodies very poorly, at a rate of maybe 1%. The only good vegetable source of DHA is algae. My understanding is that chickens that eat grass and insects produce eggs that are rich in DHA, so organic eggs might be a good source, but I'm not certain that I'm correct with this.*

*Looking online about this it seems that the term organic doesn't really cover the requirement. They need to be free roaming on a pasture and not given feed. This is rare in producers. Apparently it is the norm in Greece though, so perhaps that is a factor in their long lifespans. Also eggs marketed as "Omega 3 eggs" etc are generally not very good sources - perhaps fed flax to boost EPA content for example, but not comparable to chickens foraging on insects and grass etc.

Level 5 Vegan

No spirulina isn't a good source of B12. You could take a B12 supplement or just sprinkle nutritional yeast on food/buy cereals and milks fortified in B12.

Opti3 is an algae based supplement that contains both EPA and DHA and is suitable for vegetarians.

Personally I probably only take a B12 supplement a couple of times a month because I usually get at least some B12 through fortified foods everyday, I got a blood test though last year and my levels were good. If they dropped I would take a B12 tab more regularly though.

I keep opti3 omega 3 tablets in my press but again I don't really take them anymore. I put ground flax and milled chia seeds in my porridge in the morning and sprinkle it on salads some times. I also try to eat a lot of greens and avoid oily processed foods high in omega 6s, as this improves EPA to DHA conversion in the body.

Alpha&Omega

Level 5 Vegan wrote: »

No spirulina isn't a good source of B12. You could take a B12 supplement or just sprinkle nutritional yeast on food/buy cereals and milks fortified in B12.

Opti3 is an algae based supplement that contains both EPA and DHA and is suitable for vegetarians.

Personally I probably only take a B12 supplement a couple of times a month because I usually get at least some B12 through fortified foods everyday, I got a blood test though last year and my levels were good. If they dropped I would take a B12 tab more regularly though.

I keep opti3 omega 3 tablets in my press but again I don't really take them anymore. I put ground flax and milled chia seeds in my porridge in the morning and sprinkle it on salads some times. I also try to eat a lot of greens and avoid oily processed foods high in omega 6s, as this improves EPA to DHA conversion in the body.

If spirulina isn't a good b12 supplement, then can you recommend something that is? Also, I may be mistaken but is nutritional yeast not the same as spirulina, ie: the b12 is an analogue and therefore prevents real b12 being absorbed?

Level 5 Vegan

The yeast is fortified with B12 synthesised in a lab. It's not actually produced by the yeast cells.

In the same way you see kid's breakfast cereals as being fortified in vitamin D, calcium etc.

I suppose the easiest way to get B12 reliably is to just buy a jar of B12 sublingual tablets in a health store/online and just supplement. You don't have to worry about getting enough in your food then. As B12 is water soluble there's not really any danger of over supplementing either.

These websites are geared more towards vegan diets rather vegetarian ones, but the main principles still apply and it's probably worth you investing a few hours into them if you're considering a diet change, they'll answer your questions here in more detail and probably answer some you don't even have yet.

Veganhealth.org
Nutritionfacts.org

Books like vegan for life, eat to live, starch solution etc. all the usual recommendations probably worth a look too.

Tar.Aldarion

Although B12 is water soluble your body can still absorb too much, I advise yearly blood tests to monitor all your vitamins (you have to ask for them specifically). My B12 was too high from supplementation and I had to stop, merely needed the fortified foods I was eating.

Mentalmiss

The spirulina is not going to do you any harm and will be a source of other nutrients so you were not "had" really, especially if they were on offer. I use them a lot but not for B12. For that I supplement.
For Omega3 I am happy using chia or hemp seeds and a little flax (only in crackers as I do not like the taste much). I have never used one sourced from algae and have no deficiencies.
I do not eat any fortified foods as I am fruitarian so only eat natural.