Vitamin B12 is naturally found in animal products, including fish, meat, poultry, eggs, milk, and milk products.
B12 is generally not present in plant foods. B12 is the largest and most structurally complicated vitamin.
Neither fungi, plants nor animals are capable of producing vitamin B12.
Only BACTERIA have the enzymes required for its synthesis.
Many foods are a natural source of B12 because of bacteria symbiosis.
Thus, B12 can be produced industrially only through bacterial fermentation-synthesis.
Soil microbes that live in symbiotic relationships with plant roots produce Vitamin B12.
The B12 in animal products comes from the soil the animal ate.
Fact: Livestock no longer feed on grass and dirt on factory farm because pesticides kill B12 producing bacteria.
90% of B12 supplements produced in the world are fed to livestock.
Uh Oh…. Animal products high in B12 also heighten risk of cancer and heart disease.
Vitamin B12 is a very important nutrient. It is required for proper red blood cell formation
and for the development of the nervous system.
A deficiency of vitamin B12 is a serious nutritional concern,
resulting in anemia and changes in the function of the nervous system.
While milk and eggs contain vitamin B12, no plant food naturally contains the vitamin.
Unless they consume a B12 supplement or foods fortified with B12, a vegan is at risk of vitamin B12 deficiency.
If blood levels of vitamin B12 drop below normal values, anemia results.
This may be followed by impairment in cognitive function. In adults typical deficiency symptoms include loss of energy,
tingling in the arms and legs, numbness, reduced sensitivity to pain or pressure, blurred vision, abnormal gait (walk),
weakness and excessive fatigue, sore tongue, poor memory, confusion,
hallucinations, dementia and personality changes.
Many B12 deficiency symptoms may be due to other causes, therefore, it is wise to be examined by a health care provider to
determine the cause of the symptoms.
Infants who are vitamin B12 deficient often display signs of developmental delay or regression both physically and mentally.
These delays may have a long-term consequence on the child, lasting into adulthood.
In the elderly, neuropsychiatric disorders caused from a vitamin B12 deficiency are often irreversible
A baby born to a mother who has been a strict vegetarian or vegan and who has not had reliable sources of vitamin B12
for a number of years is especially at risk.
Unborn babies have a special need for vitamin B12 and a mother deficient in the nutrient may not meet this need.
In addition, the infant may not receive sufficient levels of B12 in breast milk, when breast-fed by a vitamin B12-deficient mother
or a woman whose diet is not adequate in vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 deficiency may develop in a breast fed infant
within 3-6 months of age.
A child with a vitamin B12 deficiency may become apathetic (droopy), lethargic (tired), and experience failure to thrive.
Yes. Common risk factors for low vitamin B12 levels in older adults include:
Low levels of stomach acid, which can be due to weakening of the stomach lining,
or to medications that reduce stomach acid as well as a drop in the digestive enzyme pepsin.
See image...
As a result, digestion of vitamin B12 from protein is diminished, inhibiting the amount of B12 available for absorption.
Any problem that causes poor absorption in the stomach or small intestine, such as Crohn's disease.
People over 50 years of age may show neurological changes due to vitamin B12 deficiency.
It is believed that a considerable number of elderly patients have neuropsychiatric disorders due to vitamin B12 deficiency.
Since the liver does store extra vitamin B12, and the body has a recycling process for B12,
it may take an adult 3-10 years to develop a deficiency once intake of the nutrient has ceased.
If one's past vitamin B12 intake has been very low, a deficiency may manifest
itself in much less than 3 years after cessation of intake.
You MUST be sure you are getting the amount of B-12 you need if you eat a plant-strong diet.
Fortunately, vitamin B12 deficiency can easily be prevented.
Vitamin B12 can be found in fortified foods, like certain cereals, soy milk, and nutritional yeast.
Only about 2 ½ micrograms (mcg) of vitamin B12 is required per day.
A cup of milk has about 1 microgram of B12, while a cup of soy or rice milk contains from 1 to 3 micrograms,
A serving of B12-fortified commercial cereal has 1.5 micrograms.
Vegetarian or vegan meat analogs that are fortified may contain anywhere from 1 to 6 micrograms of vitamin B12.
Vegetarian or vegan meat analogs that are fortified may contain anywhere from 1 to 6 micrograms of vitamin B12.
More and more vegetarian and vegan foods are being fortified with B12,
but it is imperative that one read the food label, as fortification levels may change from time to time.
Yet, the simplest and most reliable way to ensure you get an adequate amount of B12 is to take an oral supplement.
The usual dose for the average person is 250 micrograms a day or 2,500 micrograms a week.
I personally take a weekly, as opposed to a daily, supplement out of convenience, but either option is OK.
If you are not sure if you are getting enough or getting too much, you can always see your doctor to get your levels checked.
Milk, yogurt and cheese, along with eggs, are the only vegetarian food items that naturally contain significant levels of vitamin B12.
Plant foods may be fortified with B12. These include rice and soy beverages, plant-derived
meat analogs, ready-to-eat breakfast cereals, and nutritional yeast.
It is important to read the labels for these foods as not all products and brands have B12 fortification,
and the amount of fortification can change with time.
While claims are made for tempeh, miso, and other fermented soy products, as well as
spirulina, some seaweeds, brewers yeast, and leafy vegetables, these foods do not contain any significant level of vitamin B12.
There are only two reliable sources of vitamin B12 for vegans: foods fortified with this nutrient which includes nutritional yeast
grown on a B12-rich medium and supplements.
Yes. The bacteria in our colon make vitamin B12.
However, the absorption of B12 takes place higher up in the gastrointestinal tract, near the end of the small intestine.
Therefore, it is unavailable for use in the body.
Since the body has a limited capacity for absorption,
there is really no reason to ingest more than 10 to 50 micrograms of vitamin B12 supplement per day.
Larger amounts are very poorly absorbed and wasted.
For effective absorption, a B12 tablet must be dissolved under the tongue or chewed.
B12 capsules normally dissolve in the gastrointestinal tract and are readily absorbed.
Sub-lingual B12 sprays are also a useful source of B12.
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