Why do vegans need vitamin B12?

Question

everything i read says i need to take a vitamin B12 supplement

so my mum went and bought me some, but the bottle says its for stress relief and mood swings? what the h**l?

Answer 1

Because B12 is an essential nutrient. If you don't have it, you can eventually die.

I don't know what supplement she was looking at, but for the record, vitamin supplements are usually pertroleum based and because they are synthetic (meaning just the vitamin is extracted from the bacteria and you don't eat the bacteria) they aren't absorbed as well into the intestine. You need to eat either meat or the proper fauna to get B12 in its natural state.

The bottle you are looking at is for treating ailments with vitamins. Its the exact same vitamin B12. A symptom of B12 deficiency is nerve disorders, which is why is mentions nervousness. Vegans are not the only people who need supplements.

Look into nutritional yeast.

Also, you need to take most B12 supplements with food because part of their absorption involves binding to a component in the saliva and then to a compound made in the stomach during digestion.

95% of all B12 deficiencies are from improper absorption, not lack, therefore it is imperative to your health that you obtain it in the best possible way for optimal absorption.

B12 isn't used to make blood cells. Thats iron. B12 is used to maintain the myelin sheath around neurons. B12 deficiency is called "pernicious anemia" because it eventually destroys the neurons and makes your red blood cells extremely large.

gzuckier is right. Animals get B12 from bacteria in their guts. This is why, if you eat a properly balanced vegan meal, you actually CAN make your own B12 (because humans have bacteria in our guts too). You just need to make sure you eat a lot of whole grain, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. The proper diet is the only supplement you need.

Answer 2

It is propaganda. You do not need to, but some do to be on the safe side, although most B12 deficiencies are linked to animal eaters, not vegans. B12 helps the nervous system and helps with your mental state as well, although some have been known to cause deppression. You should get a test to see your B12 level. B12 can be stored in our bodies for about 5 years and we do not need much daily (about .70- 2.4 mcg). And we can get them from plant sources such as fortified cereals, fortified soy/rice milks, meat substitutes/soy analogs, some brands of fortified brewer's & nutritional yeast (such as Red Star & Twinlab). Sea vegetables like seaweed, dried nori, & spirulina, may contain vitamin B12, but their content varies and may be unreliable, lactic acid fermented products such as like tempeh, msio, beer & sauerkraut, but their content as well varies and may be unreliable. Marmite, & So Delicious Dairy Free Yogurt also contains B12 (Cyanocobalamin). ( .70- 2.4 mcg) Fortified cereals, fortified soy/rice milks, meat substitutes/soy analogs, some brands of fortified brewer's & nutritional yeast (such as Red Star & Twinlab). Sea vegetables like seaweed, dried nori, & spirulina, may contain vitamin B12, but their content varies and may be unreliable, lactic acid fermented products such as like tempeh, msio, beer & sauerkraut, but their content as well varies and may be unreliable. Marmite, & So Delicious Dairy Free Yogurt also contains B12 (Cyanocobalamin).

If you want to take it from a vitamin I suggest Deva or a patch.

Here is a great alrticle on vegan b12 with links:

http://veganarch.blogspot.com/2008/02/mo...

Answer 3

That is a main ingredient in the meat, you don't eat. <}:-})

Answer 4

Hey i just had a doubt, but recently posted a question...

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

My parents often told me that vegans would not live more than 30 months. (Joke a side; this is what I learned before). But now I could see thru my own eyes my vegan neighbor is living much healthier than me. I’m not a vegetarian (certainly my parents are against this), nevertheless I even surprise to see there are also so called “raw” vegans living in the Y!A.

Answer 5

I don't know why the bottle is bothering to make weird claims about what vitamin B12 is "for."  By definition, a vitamin is an essential part of human nutrition which must be gotten from the diet (or from supplements.)  So, by definition, all humans must have a source of vitamin B12.  Whether or not it relieves stress is irrelevant...

Anyway, vegans need supplemental B12 because it's the only nutrient not reliably available from plants.  You may be getting enough from fortified foods, but it's not really a chance you want to take.  B12 deficiency can lead to damage to the nervous system and can be very serious.

Answer 6

Very low B12 intakes can cause anaemia and nervous system damage.

The only reliable vegan sources of B12 are foods fortified with B12 (including some plant milks, some soy products and some breakfast cereals) and B12 supplements. Vitamin B12, whether in supplements, fortified foods, or animal products, comes from micro-organisms.

Most vegans consume enough B12 to avoid anaemia and nervous system damage, but many do not get enough to minimise potential risk of heart disease or pregnancy complications.

To get the full benefit of a vegan diet, vegans should do one of the following:

eat fortified foods two or three times a day to get at least three micrograms (µg or mcg) of B12 a day or

take one B12 supplement daily providing at least 10 micrograms or

take a weekly B12 supplement providing at least 2000 micrograms.

If relying on fortified foods check the labels carefully to make sure you are getting enough B12. For example, if a fortified plant milk contains 1 microgram of B12 per serving then consuming three servings a day will provide adequate vitamin B12. Others may find the use of B12 supplements more convenient and economical.

The less frequently you obtain B12 the more B12 you need to take, as B12 is best absorbed in small amounts. The recommendations above take full account of this. There is no harm in exceeding the recommended amounts or combining more than one option.

Good information supports vegan health, pass it around.

If you don't read another word about B12 you already know all you need to know. If you want to know more, read on.

This information was prepared by Stephen Walsh, a UK Vegan Society trustee, and other members of the International Vegetarian Union science group (IVU-SCI), in October 2001. This information may be freely reproduced but only in its entirety (list of endorsers may be omitted).

Endorsers

"Note for participants in the King's College study"

Vitamin B12 and vegan diets

Lessons from history

B12 is an exceptional vitamin. It is required in smaller amounts than any other known vitamin. Ten micrograms of§ B12 spread over a day appears to supply as much as the body can use. In the absence of any apparent dietary supply, deficiency symptoms usually take five years or more to develop in adults, though some people experience problems within a year. A very small number of individuals with no obvious reliable source appear to avoid clinical deficiency symptoms for twenty years or more. B12 is the only vitamin that is not recognised as being reliably supplied from a varied wholefood, plant-based diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables, together with exposure to sun. Many herbivorous mammals, including cattle and sheep, absorb B12 produced by bacteria in their own digestive system. B12 is found to some extent in soil and plants. These observations have led some vegans to suggest that B12 was an issue requiring no special attention, or even an elaborate hoax. Others have proposed specific foods, including spirulina, nori, tempeh, and barley grass, as suitable non-animal sources of B12. Such claims have not stood the test of time.

In over 60 years of vegan experimentation only B12 fortified foods and B12 supplements have proven themselves as reliable sources of B12, capable of supporting optimal health. It is very important that all vegans ensure they have an adequate intake of B12, from fortified foods or supplements. This will benefit our health and help to attract others to veganism through our example.

Getting an adequate amount of B12

National recommendations for B12 intakes vary significantly from country to country. The US recommended intake is 2.4 µgs a day for ordinary adults rising to 2.8 µgs for nursing mothers. The German recommendation is 3 µgs a day.§ Recommended intakes are usually based on 50% absorption, as this is typical for small amounts from foods. To meet the US and German recommendations you need to obtain sufficient B12 to absorb 1.5 µgs per day on average. This amount should be sufficient to avoid even the initial signs of inadequate B12 intake, such as slightly elevated homocysteine and MMA levels, in most people. Even slightly elevated homocysteine is associated with increased risk of many health problems including heart disease in adults, preeclampsia during pregnancy and neural tube defects in babies.

Achieving an adequate B12 intake is easy and there are several methods to suit individual preferences. Absorption of B12 varies from about 50%, if about 1 µg or less is consumed, to about 0.5% for doses of 1000 µgs (1 mg) or above. So the less frequently you consume B12, the higher the total amount needs to be to give the desired absorbed amount.

Frequent use of foods fortified with B12 so that about one microgram of B12 is consumed three times a day with a few hours in between will provide an adequate amount. Availability of fortified foods varies from country to country and amounts of B12 vary from brand to brand, so ensuring an adequate B12 supply from fortified foods requires some label reading and thought to work out an adequate pattern to suit individual tastes and local products.

Taking a B12 supplement containing ten µgs or more daily provides a similar absorbed amount to consuming one µg on three occasions through the day. This may be the most economical method as a single high potency tablet can be consumed bit by bit. 2000 µgs of B12 consumed once a week would also provide an adequate intake.§ Any B12 supplement tablet should be chewed or allowed to dissolve in the mouth to enhance absorption. Tablets should be kept in an opaque container. As with any supplement it is prudent not to take more than is required for maximum benefit, so intakes above 5000 µg per week should be avoided despite lack of evidence for toxicity from higher amounts.

All three options above should meet the needs of the vast majority of people with normal B12 metabolism. Individuals with impaired B12 absorption may find that the third method, 2000µg once a week, works best as it does not rely on normal intrinsic factor in the gut. There are other, very rare, metabolic defects that require completely different approaches to meeting B12 requirements. If you have any reason to suspect a serious health problem seek medical advice promptly.

Symptoms of B12 deficiency

Clinical deficiency can cause anaemia or nervous system damage. Most vegans consume enough B12 to avoid clinical deficiency. Two subgroups of vegans are at particular risk of B12 deficiency: long-term vegans who avoid common fortified foods (such as raw food vegans or macrobiotic vegans) and breastfed infants of vegan mothers whose own intake of B12 is low.

In adults typical deficiency symptoms include loss of energy, tingling, numbness, reduced sensitivity to pain or pressure, blurred vision, abnormal gait, sore tongue, poor memory, confusion, hallucinations and personality changes. Often these symptoms develop gradually over several months to a year before being recognised as being due to B12 deficiency and they are usually reversible on administration of B12. There is however no entirely consistent and reliable set of symptoms and there are cases of permanent damage in adults from B12 deficiency. If you suspect a problem then get a skilled diagnosis from a medical practitioner as each of these symptoms can also be caused by problems other than B12 deficiency.

Infants typically show more rapid onset of symptoms than adults. B12 deficiency may lead to loss of energy and appetite and failure to thrive. If not promptly corrected this can progress to coma or death. Again there is no entirely consistent pattern of symptoms. Infants are more vulnerable to permanent damage than adults. Some make a full recovery, but others show retarded development.

The risk to these groups alone is reason enough to call on all vegans to give a consistent message as to the importance of B12 and to set a positive example. Every case of B12 deficiency in a vegan infant or an ill informed adult is a tragedy and brings veganism into disrepute.

The homocysteine connection

This is not however the end of the story. Most vegans show adequate B12 levels to make clinical deficiency unlikely but nonetheless show restricted activity of B12 related enzymes, leading to elevated homocysteine levels. Strong evidence has been gathered over the past decade that even slightly elevated homocysteine levels increase risk of heart disease and stroke and pregnancy complications. Homocysteine levels are also affected by other nutrients, most notably folate. General recommendations for increased intakes of folate are aimed at reducing levels of homocysteine and avoiding these risks. Vegan intakes of folate are generally good, particularly if plenty of green vegetables are eaten. However, repeated observations of elevated homocysteine in vegans, and to a lesser extent in other vegetarians, show conclusively that B12 intake needs to be adequate as well to avoid unnecessary risk.

Testing B12 status

A blood B12 level measurement is a very unreliable test for vegans, particularly for vegans using any form of algae.§ Algae and some other plant foods contain B12-analogues (false B12) that can imitate true B12 in blood tests while actually interfering with B12 metabolism. Blood counts are also unreliable as high folate intakes suppress the anaemia symptoms of B12 deficiency that can be detected by blood counts. Blood homocysteine testing is more reliable, with levels less than 10 mmol/litre being desirable.§ The most specific test for B12 status is methylmalonic acid (MMA) testing. If this is in the§ normal range in blood (<370 nmol/L) or urine (less than 4 mg /mg creatinine) then your body has enough B12. Many doctors still rely on blood B12 levels and blood counts. These are not adequate, especially in vegans.

Is there a vegan alternative to B12-fortified foods and supplements?

Answer 7

B12 is important for the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system, and for the formation of blood. It is normally involved in the metabolism of every cell of the body, especially affecting DNA synthesis and regulation, but also fatty acid synthesis and energy production.

Answer 8

vitamin B12 is what most vegans and vegetarians are lacking because it is mainly found in meat and dairy products..... b12 is used by the body to create red blood cells

or else you will become anemic

Answer 9

Some people are concerned about B12 because it is mostly available in animal products. But your body has a high capicity to store vitamin B12 for about 5 years, unlike other vitamins. So you don't need B12 supplements because it is readily availble from fortified cereals. Mostly cereal products are high in B12 and veg/vegan. Below are some foods in order of highest B12 levels.

Cereals

http://www.nutritiondata.com/foods-00811...

Fats and oils

http://www.nutritiondata.com/foods-00411...

Answer 10

b12 is required for humans, and is not found in plants. animals actually get it from certain bacteria in their guts that digest the plant material, like cows with their 4 stomachs, etc., then animals which eat the cows get it from the cows.

you don't need much of it though. like most of the starving people on earth who eat nothing but rice get it from the bugs they accidentally eat. but if you don't get it, you get both a form of anemia, and a general deterioration of your nervous system and brain. not just "stress relief and mood swings"., we're talking like loss of nervous feeling in your arms and legs, feeling like your arms and legs are "asleep" all the time, mental confusion and impairment, and in the unlikely event that you still haven't gone to a doctor, after years and years permanent literal deterioration of the brain tissue. mostly, people go to the doctor when their arms and legs get numb, and they get back to normal.

the commerical stuff is just made by fermenting the bacteria in commercial amounts and extracting it from them.

Answer 11

I consume at least 16 ounces of plain Silk soy milk everyday.  That has 100% of the B12 that I need.  Try that.  I don't mess around with vitamins.  I get everything I need from my food.