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Vitamin B12 There has long been speculation about whether or not mushrooms provide vitamin B12, a vitamin normally associated with animal foods. In 1987, the Australian Government Analytical Laboratories found appreciable amounts of B12 in mushrooms. Based on this analysis, the mushroom industry then included B12 as a nutrient in their promotional material and advertising. The B12 level was disputed by some nutrition professionals who believed that only animal sources can provide B12, while others wanted to know whether the B12 claimed to be found was bio-available. In early 2009, researchers at the University of Western Sydney completed ground-breaking research on the B12 content of Australian button mushrooms (Koyyalamudi 2009). Their detailed experiments on mushrooms of all sizes and stages of growth from around Australia conclusively proved that: A. Mushrooms do have B12 present. It is on both the surface of the mushroom and in the flesh of the mushroom. The majority of B12 is in the surface of the cup of the mushroom. B. The B12 present is bio-available, in exactly the same form as B12 in beef liver and fish. C. The amount of B12 in mushrooms varies from crop to crop. One serve will provide about 2-4% of the RDI. However, that level may be an important amount over a lifetime for a vegan who loves their mushrooms. |
Nutritional information: 
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