A new study suggests that Spirulina, long promoted as a nutrient-rich food, may finally overcome one of its biggest nutritional weaknesses. Researchers report that a specially grown form of the blue-green algae can produce biologically active vitamin B12 at levels comparable to beef, a finding that could reshape how scientists think about sustainable nutrition.
The research, published in Discover Food, was led by Dr. Asaf Tzachor of Reichman University together with collaborators from Iceland, Denmark, and Austria. Their team studied a system that uses carefully controlled light to grow what they call photosynthetically controlled Spirulina.
Unlike conventional Spirulina, which mostly contains a pseudo-form of vitamin B12 that humans cannot use, this version produced active B12, the form the body actually needs. According to the researchers, this is the first time biologically active vitamin B12 has been reported in Spirulina.
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