Originally published September 28 2014
Vitamin B12 - A rare deficiency unless you're vegan
by Kali Sinclair
(NaturalNews) The requirement for vitamin B12 is very low, but it is absolutely essential. A mild vitamin B12 deficiency results in weakness and fatigue. A more serious deficiency causes shortness of breath, nervousness, numbness and tingling in extremities, and problems with balance. A severe deficiency can lead to nerve damage, pernicious anemia, paranoia, confusion, problems with memory, depression, delusions, and brain damage.
When taking a B vitamin supplement, it is best to take B12 along with the other B vitamins in a B complex supplement because any long term use of a single B vitamin will cause an imbalance in the others, and high doses of folic acid (B9 ) can mask a B12 deficiency.
Treatments and prevention with B12
B12 has long been used to treat fatigue and general malaise. There is a possibility that supplementation will improve sperm count. B9 (folic acid) and B12 may help prevent breast cancer. B complex (especially B12, B6, and B9) help to lower homocysteine levels. Age related macular degeneration (a condition that causes blindness in the elderly) may be prevented with B12 and B9.
Foods rich in vitamin B12
Natural food sources high in vitamin B12 include the following: sardines, salmon, tuna, cod, lamb, shrimp, scallops, beef, yogurt, and milk.
Can human bacteria produce B12?
Vegans and Vegetarians are at high risk for serious B12 deficiency. Many argue that this is not the case, that with a proper, healthy vegan or vegetarian diet, the bacteria in our digestive system will produce B12. While this is true, it is not absorbed. B12 is absorbed in the ileum, the last section of the small intestine, while our bodies produce B12 in the large intestine, therefore, it cannot be absorbed. ??
How do vegan animals get vitamin B12? Many species eat their feces and other animal's feces. They also eat root vegetables with dirt, which sporadically has small amounts of the vitamin. In the 1950s, vegans with B12 deficiencies volunteered to eat B12 extracted from their own feces. The experiment worked--it eliminated their deficiency.
Obviously, there is a better way.
Supplementing with B12
Although B12 is water soluble and is not stored in the fat, it is the one B vitamin that is stored in the body, in the liver. Many vegetarians and vegans continue their diet choice without supplementation for a few years without problems. Scientists speculate that this may be due to B12 reserves. One depleted, deficiency will result.
Some people claim to get enough vitamin B12 from their own gardens, growing their own food outside with good soil and eating some of the organic produce without washing it. This practice places them at high risk of parasitic infection, but it can yield positive results if their diet is very clean. Tempeh, miso, sea vegetables, and other plant foods are sometimes reported to contain vitamin B12, but these are not reliable sources. The good news is, B12 supplementation is easy. Lots of foods are fortified with B12, but if you don't do prepackaged, processed foods, than you'll need to supplement. There are plenty of supplements available and some nutritional yeasts are good sources of B12, but it is important that the yeast come from good sources. We recommend non-active saccharomyces cerevisiae nutritional yeast.
Remember, if you choose vitamin supplementation, B vitamins should be taken together in a B-complex form, and ideally, B vitamins should be taken with a whole food multiple and fresh raw foods.? Shillington's Total Nutrition recipe (see the first source link below) should offer enough B vitamins (and it has plenty of B12) for most people. Though many may benefit from a multi vitamin/mineral and a B complex supplement together. Make sure any B vitamins you consume come from a reputable source.
For more information on B vitamins and supplementation, read B Vitamins, Nature's Valium & check the first two sources.
Sources:
http://www.organiclifestylemagazine.com
http://www.organiclifestylemagazine.com
http://www.organiclifestylemagazine.com
http://umm.edu
http://www.whfoods.com
http://health.howstuffworks.com
http://chriskresser.com
http://www.naturalnews.com
http://www.veganhealth.org/b12/int
Vitamin B12.Encyclopedia Britannica, April, 2014
About the author:
Allene Edwards first became interested in alternative medicine and holistic treatment modalities when she successfully used diet therapy to manage her children�s ADHD. Later when she became chronically ill with an auto-immune disease that multiple doctors could not identify, much less cure, she successfully treated both the symptoms and the cause through naturopathic treatment and nutrition. She is the Managing Editor of Organic Lifestyle Magzine and a regular contributor.
Allene Edwards first became interested in alternative medicine and holistic treatment modalities when she successfully used diet therapy to manage her children�s ADHD. Later when she became chronically ill with an auto-immune disease that multiple doctors could not identify, much less cure, she successfully treated both the symptoms and the cause through naturopathic treatment and nutrition. She is the Managing Editor of Organic Lifestyle Magzine and a regular contributor.
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