According to one site, it's only found in animal products. Which leads one to take a supplement, either a pill or injection. I'm not adverse to needles, but I don't like injections. However, it seems that the body absorbs the injections better than the pills. Of course, for the 'financially impaired', the pills are a better option. I've heard of a B12 patch, but the whole 'patch' thing just scares me.
Meanwhile, I'd rather find some other way that doesn't involve turning to man-made alternatives. Is there seriously no plant that has an adequate source of B12?
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Sources/Quotes about B12:
(source) --
"What does Vitamin B12 do?
Vitamin B12 is needed for normal nerve cell activity, DNA replication, and production of the mood-affecting substance called SAMe (S-adenosyl-L-methionine). Vitamin B12 works with folic acid to control homocysteine levels. An excess of homocysteine, which is an amino acid (protein building block), may increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and perhaps osteoporosis and Alzheimer’s disease.
Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause fatigue, and some research indicates that individuals who are not deficient in this vitamin have increased energy after injections of vitamin B12. In one unblinded trial, 2,500–5,000 mcg of vitamin B12, given by injection every two to three days, led to improvement in 50–80% of a group of people with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), with most improvement appearing after several weeks of B12 shots. While the research in this area remains preliminary, people with CFS interested in considering a trial of vitamin B12 injections should consult a nutritionally oriented doctor. Oral or sublingual B12 supplements are unlikely to obtain the same results as injectable B12, because the body’s ability to absorb large amounts is relatively poor.
Where is Vitamin B12 found?
Vitamin B12 is found in all foods of animal origin, including dairy, eggs, meat, fish, and poultry. Inconsistent but small amounts occur in seaweed (including spirulina) and tempeh."
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(source)
"Even vitamin B12, originally thought to be present only in animal products - especially in the liver- is also available from certain lactic fermented foods like sauerkraut; possibly certain seaweeds; spirulina, a blue-green alga; and our own guts (if they are healthy and have not been abused with antibiotics)."
-- Sauerkraut, my loathed enemy... *shudders* (I've been teased about being a bad German because I am still 'acquiring the taste' for sauerkraut.)However, that last mention of the body making B12 so long as we're healthy and *not abused with antibiotics*... Considering the latest trend of 'drug shopping via commercials', this could be a serious problem.
From the same source as above:
"Is there a vegan alternative to B12-fortified foods and supplements?
Claimed sources of B12 that have been shown through direct studies of vegans to be inadequate include human gut bacteria, spirulina, dried nori, barley grass and most other seaweeds. Several studies of raw food vegans have shown that raw food offers no special protection.
Reports that B12 has been measured in a food are not enough to qualify that food as a reliable B12 source. It is difficult to distinguish true B12 from analogues that can disrupt B12 metabolism. Even if true B12 is present in a food, it may be rendered ineffective if analogues are present in comparable amounts to the true B12. There is only one reliable test for a B12 source - does it consistently prevent and correct deficiency? Anyone proposing a particular food as a B12 source should be challenged to present such evidence."
-- If this report is true (taken from Veganoutreach.org), then am I stuck with finding some man-made alternative? (I suppose I should explain that I'm not necesssarily anti-man-made things, but I'm definitely pro-natural when at all possible, especially when it comes to vittles.)
This vitamin seems pretty important, and we don't require a whole lot in order to keep the necessary levels... Aside from fortified foods and animal products, there doesn't seem to be a way to get around the man-made supplements. Anyone got any ideas?
3 comments:
B12 deficiency is a very rare problem, even among strict vegans.
It is not even an issue for ovo-lacto vegetarians.
The only problem I see with man-made B12 is its gender-specificity; try human-made supplements (or just enjoy a bowl of fortified cereal each morning)!
Not a problem (except for those paranoid meat-lovers whose last hope to condemn vegetarianism rests with this supposed deficiency).
Fair enough. Of course, if I could manage to actually eat breakfast every morning, that would be a feat in and of itself...
However, is it really just a 'supposed deficiency'? Setting aside those who take _hu_man-made supplements, is there a real possibility of people not getting enough? Is there any actual weight to the argument?
(Is B12 still in the dairy products anymore? All the crap that gets added, and all the adverse affects thereof, how can we be sure?)
B12 deficiencies can show up, especially in total vegetarians who have been off meat, dairy, and eggs for over 5 years (the liver stores 3-5 years' worth) or older persons (who have lost in part their ability to metabolize B12 in the small intestine). Fortified foods and/or supplements are the solution.
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