Are consumers aware that vitamin B12 is much better absorbed when drunk in cow’s milk than when taken in vitamin supplements? One glass of milk can provide 50% of an adult’s daily B12 requirement. The results of a study on this topic, which was conducted in Sherbrooke, were published in the British Journal of Nutrition.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada research scientists at the Dairy and Swine Research and Development Centre conducted their study on pigs, which have a very similar digestive system to that of humans. The research scientists gave pigs either cow’s milk or vitamin B12 supplements to compare the absorption rates of this vitamin. They found that vitamin B12 that is naturally present in cow’s milk is absorbed two times better than synthetic vitamin B12 is. Pushing their research further, they even discovered how to produce a superior cow’s milk that could meet 75% of an adult’s daily requirement. These discoveries are fantastic news for consumers.
Other studies on feeding vitamin B12 and folic acid to cows and breeder sows in the form of supplements concluded that they enable cows to produce more milk and sows to give birth to a larger number of stronger piglets.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
