[mistercow]

Have there been vegans claiming that veganism is natural, and that this is somehow a reason to be vegan? Because that would be dumb. Veganism is an ethical stance, after all, so I'm not sure on what basis that argument would even rest.

Also, archaeologists who don't know about nutrition should probably not talk about nutrition as if they did. There are plenty of non-animal sources of B12, including soil (you know, where vegetables grow?).

[jiggy2011]

I think Gary Yourofsky claims something similar to that. But he's pretty extreme even by vegan standards.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=es6U00LMmC4

Lots of psuedoscience in there.

[Turing_Machine]

When it's found in "soil", it's due to bacteria and small animals (insects, mites) that are in the soil.

Any B12(-like) substances that are in plants (e.g., spirulina) are unlikely to be in a form that's bioavailable to human beings.

Vegans have to take B12 supplements of some sort or eat foods that have been fortified with B12. That's just a fact.

[mistercow]

>When it's found in "soil", it's due to bacteria and small animals (insects, mites) that are in the soil.

I'm not sure what your point is.

>Any B12(-like) substances that are in plants (e.g., spirulina) are unlikely to be in a form that's bioavailable to human beings.

Yes, this is true.

>Vegans have to take B12 supplements of some sort or eat foods that have been fortified with B12. That's just a fact.

Modern vegans do need to take supplements, yes. The question is whether vegans in the ancestral environment would have gotten sufficient B12 from eating unwashed vegetables and roots. As far as I know, research is lacking on that point, but it is plausible.

[Turing_Machine]

The point is that describing or implying that the B12 in "soil" is "vegan" is utterly absurd.

As for eating enough soil to get enough B12, that's also absurd.