Study unveils sustainable solution to vitamin B12 deficiency

New research Published In the journal Discover foodDr. Assaf Tsachor, founder and academic director of the Aviram Sustainability and Climate Program at Reichmann University, along with a team of researchers from Iceland, Denmark and Austria, report that they have used cutting-edge biotechnology to cultivate photosynthetically controlled Spirulina to produce carbon-neutral, nutritious biomass that contains uncompetitive biologically active B vitamins.₁₂For the first time, it contains biologically active B vitamins at levels comparable to those found in beef.₁₂ There are reports of spirulina.

Their new research uncovers a potential solution to one of the most widespread micronutrient deficiencies: vitamin B.₁₂More than one billion people worldwide suffer from vitamin B deficiency, due in part to their reliance on meat and dairy products to get enough vitamin B.₁₂ The intake level (2.4 µg/day) poses significant environmental problems.

Spirulina blue-green algae (Arthrospira platensis) has been proposed as a healthier and more sustainable alternative to meat and dairy, but so-called traditional spirulina falls short as a viable alternative due to its pseudo-vitamin B content.₁₂a form that is not bioavailable to humans. This limitation hampers the ability to address B vitamins.₁₂ It will compensate for the deficiency and become a perfect substitute for beef in the human diet.

In a pioneering exploratory study, an international team of researchers from Reichmann University, the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, the Ruppin Academic Center, the Technical University of Denmark and MATIS in Iceland aimed to overcome this challenge.

The research team evaluated a biotechnology system developed by VAXA Technologies, Iceland, focusing on its engineering components, inputs (e.g., energy), and outputs, including biomass composition. The system employs photon management (changing light conditions) to enhance active B vitamins.₁₂ Spirulina also contains other bioactive compounds with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting properties.

This innovative approach produced carbon-neutral, nutritious biomass containing levels of biologically active vitamin B12 similar to those in beef (1.64 µg/100g in PCS vs. 0.7-1.5 µg/100g in beef).

“The results of this study show that photosynthetically controlled spirulina can produce desirable levels of active vitamin B12, making it a sustainable alternative to traditional animal-derived foods,” Dr. Tsachor explains.

The study also explores scenarios for scaling up production that would have a significant impact on global nutrition. By reallocating electricity from heavy industry, Iceland could produce 277,950 tonnes of Spirulina biomass per year. This production would equate to approximately 4,555 grams of active vitamin B12 per year, meeting the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for over 13.8 million children aged 1-3 years. More ambitious scenarios suggest that this could potentially meet the RDA for over 26.5 million children aged 1-3 years and over 50 million children aged 0-6 months.

This breakthrough marks a major step towards solving the world’s vitamin B deficiency problem.₁₂ It will help address nutritional deficiencies in a sustainable way and reduce reliance on environmentally-intensive meat and dairy production.