BLACKSBURG, Va., Aug. 6 -- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University issued the following news release:
Vitamin B12 is biological gold.
All living organisms need a little bit of it to form red blood cells and DNA, as well as to build and support brain and nerve cells. But it's hard to come by: Humans don't make it. Animals don't make it. Plants don't make it.
In fact, this essential nutrient is made exclusively by certain bacteria and archaea.
But we've got to have it, so we scavenge.
Humans tap natural food sources such as meat, shellfish, fish, poultry, and dairy, as well as supplements, to get what we need.
Scientists have a clear picture of how B12 is absorbed into the body. What is harder to understand is how and why th...