Life Sciences Study: Watercress can absorb vitamin B12

[Second Summer]

Researchers from University of Kent have found that watercress can absorb cobalamin from the soil, and thereby make it available to humans.

Vitamin B12 (scientifically referred to as “cobalamin”) is predominantly unable to be absorbed or produced by most plants, therefore people eating a plant-based diet are advised to supplement the essential nutrient. However, the team under guidance from Professor Martin Warren at the University’s School of Biosciences, alongside year 11 and 12 students at Sir Roger Manwood’s School in Sandwich have successfully grown common garden cress seedlings that absorb cobalamin.

More: Researchers Make Breakthrough Discovery With Plant-Based B12 (26. May 2018)

The study was published in Cell Chemical Biology:
doi.org/10.1016/j.chembiol.2018.04.012

 

[Skylark]

Can this B12 be readily absorbed by humans during digestion, and if so, under what conditions? It would stink if the watercress had it but couldn’t share.

 

[Second Summer]

Can this B12 be readily absorbed by humans during digestion, and if so, under what conditions? It would stink if the watercress had it but couldn’t share.

I think that depends on the B12 it absorbs. My understanding is that it simply absorbs and accumulates the B12 without really modifying it. So if it's grown in soil containing cobalt, B12-producing bacteria and the right conditions, then the watercress will contain B12 that humans can also absorb.

It sounds like they think some other plants (they don't seem to mention which) are also able to absorb the B12. From the study:

Finally, and very surprisingly, certain plants were observed to be able to absorb B12 from their growth medium, accumulating the molecule in the leaf vacuole. This latter finding may be important as a way to address the global challenge of providing a nutrient-complete vegetarian diet, a valuable development as the world becomes increasingly meat-free due to population expansion.