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Re:Stomach of Dead Whale Contained 'Nothing but Nonstop Plas... by QuantumAphid on Tuesday March 19, 2019 @02:16PM (#19433775)
I'm guessing you mean "minimal amounts" because B12 doses/levels are measured in micrograms. In fact a vegan diet provides no natural B12 (see note below). This is a serious gap that must be addressed by supplementation/fortification.

Supplements have challenges too (and in fact many studies show supplements to be of little value). In order to attain sufficient B12 via supplements, a person needs to consume many times the RDA value. For example, only 10 mcg of a 500 mcg oral supplement is absorbed by healthy people.

So while technically you may need minimal amounts of B12, it remains an essential vitamin. Getting it in a format which is both absorbable and bioavailable is not trivial and serves as a clue that human physiology evolved in an ecosystem which, to varying degrees, involved eating animals.

Note: For now I'll set aside probable/common deficiencies among vegans/vegetarians in B6, heme iron, the vitamins A, D3, K2, micronutrients and fatty acids DHA, CLA, Carnatine, Carnosine, Taurine, Creatine and others. In fairness, a western/standard american diet can also score poorly in many nutrients.

Re:Stomach of Dead Whale Contained 'Nothing but Nonstop Plas... by KozmoNau7 on Tuesday March 19, 2019 @04:14PM (#19435266)
Fermented foods such as kimchi or sauerkraut can provide B12, but you have to get the old-fashioned variety, not the "pour some vinegar over boiled cabbage" version.
Re:Stomach of Dead Whale Contained 'Nothing but Nonstop Plas... by QuantumAphid on Tuesday March 19, 2019 @04:56PM (#19435762)
Most store-bought or restaurant kimchi has fish-sauce and/or bits of shrimp.

I can't find much support for B12 in these foods in online databases.

If these must be home-made or of similar quality, supplementation of B12 is still going to be important.