Guide
Beetroot and vitamin B12: does beetroot contain it?
Beetroot doesn't contain vitamin B12. B12 is made by bacteria and found reliably only in animal products or fortified foods — no plant, beetroot included, is a dependable source, which is why people on plant-based diets are specifically advised to supplement it separately.
Beetroot doesn't contain vitamin B12. No plant food does, in any reliable amount — B12 is made by bacteria, and it's found consistently only in animal products or foods fortified with it. Beetroot's popularity in vegetarian and plant-based cooking is likely why the two get searched together, but eating beets doesn't change B12 status one way or the other.
Why plants, beetroot included, don't have B12
Vitamin B12 is synthesized by certain bacteria and archaea, not by plants or animals themselves. Animals accumulate it by eating other animals, or by hosting the bacteria that produce it; that's why meat, fish, eggs and dairy are the reliable dietary sources, alongside foods manufacturers fortify with it (some plant milks, nutritional yeast, and breakfast cereals, for example). Per the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, unfortified plant foods — vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes — don't contain a nutritionally meaningful amount of B12, and beetroot isn't an exception to that.
Why this matters for plant-based diets
Because no vegetable supplies B12, health bodies specifically advise people following vegan or largely plant-based diets to get it from a fortified food or a standalone B12 supplement, rather than assuming a varied enough diet of plants will cover it. Beetroot is a common ingredient in plant-based cooking and juicing, which may be why some people assume it contributes B12 along with its other nutrients — it doesn't, and no amount of beetroot changes that.
If you're taking Electric Tiger Beetroot
Electric Tiger Beetroot is 1,300 mg of whole organic beetroot powder per two-capsule serving — one ingredient, and it doesn't include vitamin B12 or any other added vitamin. If B12 status is a concern, particularly on a plant-based diet, that's a separate conversation from a beetroot supplement, and worth raising with a doctor if you're unsure where your intake stands. A beetroot capsule and a B12 supplement address two entirely different nutrients, and taking one doesn't reduce the need for the other if B12 intake is otherwise low.
Questions people ask
Does beetroot have vitamin B12?
No. Beetroot, like every unfortified plant food, doesn't contain a meaningful amount of B12. It's a bacterially produced vitamin found reliably only in animal products or fortified foods.
Can beetroot juice replace a B12 supplement?
No. Juicing doesn't add a nutrient that wasn't in the plant to begin with, and beetroot doesn't contain B12 in either juice or whole form.
Do I need a B12 supplement if I eat beetroot regularly?
Eating beetroot doesn't change your B12 status either way — it isn't a source. Whether you need a B12 supplement depends on your overall diet (particularly whether it includes animal products or fortified foods), which is worth discussing with a doctor if you're following a plant-based diet.
Related reading: beetroot benefits: what the research does and doesn't show, foods that contain beetroot, and what is beetroot.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
