Modified Light Conditions Enable Spirulina to Produce Bioavailable Vitamin B12 at Beef-Level Concentrations
Researchers led by Dr. Asaf Tzachor at Reichman University have successfully cultivated Spirulina that produces biologically active vitamin B12, overcoming a major nutritional limitation of the algae. By using photonic management to alter light conditions, the team created carbon-neutral biomass containing 1.64 micrograms of active B12 per 100 grams, a level comparable to or exceeding that found in beef. This is the first reported instance of bioavailable B12 in Spirulina, which traditionally contains only non-bioavailable pseudo-B12. The study, published in Discover Food, suggests that scaling this technology could provide significant amounts of the essential micronutrient, potentially addressing global deficiencies without the environmental costs of animal agriculture.