Vitamin B12 is important for the body. Among other things, it supports the nervous system and the formation of red blood cells.
According to SciTechDaily, researchers believe that more than one billion people suffer from vitamin B12 deficiency.
A deficiency of the vitamin can lead to fatigue, memory problems, and nerve damage.
Most people normally get B12 through meat, milk, and other animal-based products.
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However, the production of these foods places a heavy burden on the climate through large greenhouse gas emissions and high consumption of water and land resources.
Special algae
Researchers from Israel, Denmark, and Iceland, among others, studied a special type of Spirulina, a blue-green algae often used as a dietary supplement.
The algae was grown in closed tanks under artificial light. The researchers adjusted the lighting conditions to influence the algae’s development without using genetic modification.
Normally, Spirulina contains a type of vitamin B12 that the human body cannot use.
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But in the new study, published in Discover Food, more than 98 percent of the vitamin consisted of an active form that humans can absorb.
Comparable to beef
The new Spirulina contains biologically active vitamin B12 at levels similar to those found in beef.
According to the researchers, this could eventually make the algae a more sustainable alternative to animal-based foods.
Sources: SciTechDaily and Discover Food.
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