Scientists Find Vegan Vitamin B12 In Water Lentils

Kicking off the year with some good news for the vegan community, we’re happy to learn that scientists have discovered a plant-based source of vitamin B12 in water lentils, AKA duckweed.

Parabel, a US-based company that manufactures plant protein ingredients, made the announcement late last year and says that water lentils contain approximately 750% of the U.S. recommended daily value of bioactive vitamin B12 (per 100 grams of dry plant).

Independent third-party laboratory testing has confirmed that the water lentil crop and branded plant-based protein ingredient Lentein from Parabel contain the natural bioactive forms of vitamin B12: adenosylcobalamin, methycobalamin.

Natural bioactive forms of Vitamin B12 can be found easily in meats and dairy products. But vegans tend to need supplementation of the vitamin, as it is generally not found in plant foods. Most common supplements are synthetic, which is a cause for concern for many consumers.

Geoff Palmer, CEO and owner of  Clean Machine, a natural and plant-based sports and nutrition supplement company, said “I have reviewed the testing and I feel confident that the Parabel team has identified bioactive Vitamin B12 in their products. This could be a game-changing event for the plant-based food community as it allows one to consume bioactive, natural, whole-food plant-sourced B12.”

And it’s not just B12 – water lentils are a superfood in their own right, containing high levels of proteins, vitamins and minerals. The crop grows easily and rapidly and can double its biomass in a number of days, making it a scalable option for the growing number of vegans worldwide.

“Parabel’s hydroponic systems represent a scalable and potentially revolutionary platform to produce highly nutritious plant foods that contain bioactive vitamin B12 forms,” added Matthew Van Ert, PhD, Parabel’s chief scientific officer. “Along with partners, we will begin conducting bioavailability studies to determine the effectiveness of water lentils as a natural, plant-based solution to address vitamin B12 deficiencies.”