A modified form of Spirulina may offer a more sustainable source of vitamin B12.
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.
The Global Challenge of Vitamin B12 Deficiency
Vitamin B12 deficiency remains one of the most common micronutrient deficiencies worldwide. More than one billion people are believed to have low levels. The vitamin is essential for DNA production, nerve function, and the formation of red blood cells. Severe deficiency can lead to anemia, nerve damage, memory issues, and developmental problems in infants. Addressing this issue is difficult because most natural sources of B12 come from animal products such as meat and dairy.
Foods such as beef and milk help meet the recommended intake of vitamin B12 (2.4 µg/day), but producing them carries a heavy environmental burden. Ruminant agriculture is linked to high greenhouse gas emissions, land use, water demands, and deforestation. So while animal products remain nutritionally important for many people, expanding their production to fight B12 deficiency comes at a cost.
Spirulina has often been presented as a possible alternative because it is rich in protein, essential amino acids, iron, and other micronutrients. It has also attracted attention for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immune-supporting properties. But one major flaw has limited its value as a true substitute for animal-source foods.
Most of the vitamin B12 in traditional Spirulina is pseudo-vitamin B12, also known as cobamide, which is not bioavailable to humans. In other words, it may look like B12 chemically, but it does not solve the deficiency problem.
Engineering a Functional Form of B12
To address this limitation, the researchers tested a biotechnology system developed by VAXA Technologies in Iceland. In this setup, Spirulina is grown in enclosed photobioreactors under artificial light. By fine-tuning the light conditions, the team was able to influence the algae’s metabolism without genetic modification.
The resulting biomass was carbon neutral and contained biologically active vitamin B12 at levels comparable to beef (1.64 µg/100g in PCS vs. 0.7–1.5 μg/100g in beef). More than 98% of the vitamin B12 measured in the cultivated Spirulina was in its active form. This is a major difference from conventional products, where the inactive pseudo form dominates.
The researchers also found that these results were stable. The B12 profile remained consistent over 9 months of continuous cultivation, suggesting the effect is reliable over time.
Dr. Asaf Tzachor said, “The findings demonstrate that photosynthetically controlled Spirulina can produce desirable levels of active vitamin B12, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional animal-source foods.”
Scaling Up Sustainable Production
Because the system is designed for controlled industrial production, the team modeled what might happen if it were scaled up in Iceland, where most electricity comes from renewable geothermal and hydroelectric sources. In one scenario, if electricity currently used by heavy industry were redirected, Iceland could produce 306,400 US tons of Spirulina biomass each year.
That would generate about 4555 grams of active vitamin B12 annually, enough to meet the recommended dietary allowance for more than 13.8 million children aged 1–3. In more ambitious scenarios, the researchers estimate that production could meet the needs of over 26.5 million children aged 1–3 and more than 50 million children aged 0–6 months.
Overall, the findings point to a promising way to address global vitamin B12 deficiency while reducing dependence on environmentally demanding meat and dairy production.
Reference: “Photonic management of Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) in scalable photobioreactors to achieve biologically active unopposed vitamin B12” by A. Tzachor, S. P. van den Oever, H. K. Mayer, M. Asfur, A. Smidt-Jensen, M. Geirsdóttir, S. Jensen and B. O. Smárason, 7 August 2024, Discover Food.
DOI: 10.1007/s44187-024-00152-1
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