Vegans And Vitamin B12

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Everyone Needs Vitamin B12

Vitamin deficiencies are a problem that we normally associate with a poor diet lacking in fresh fruits and vegetables. So it may seem surprising that vegetarians and vegans can suffer from deficiencies of vital nutrients like vitamin B12. This vitamin for healthy blood cells is found only in animal products, which means that anyone avoiding those products in their diets will likely need to take a supplement to maintain good health.

What Does Vitamin B12 Do?

Vitamin B 12 is essential for healthy living. Its main functions involve the formation of red blood cells and the maintenance of a healthy nervous system. B 12 is necessary for the timely synthesis of DNA during cell division. This is especially important in tissues where cells are dividing rapidly, particularly the bone marrow tissues responsible for red blood cell formation.

B 12 is also important in maintaining the nervous system. Nerves are surrounded by an insulating fatty sheath which is made of a protein called myelin. B 12 plays a vital role in the metabolism of fatty acids essential to maintain healthy myelin. B 12 deficiency over a long period of time can lead to nerve degeneration and irreversible nerve damage

Reliable sources of vitamin B12 are in animal products like meat, eggs and dairy products. Some research has shown that it also occurs in some kinds of plants, such as seaweeds, an algae called spirula, and fermented soy products. However, recent studies have come to the conclusion that humans cannot process this form of the vitamin, so these are not effective sources of B12 for vegans and vegetarians.

Fortunately, a large number of cereal products are enriched with vitamin B12. Breakfast cereals are an excellent source as well as some enriched breads. By paying attention to the nutrition labels on these kinds of products, it is possible to supplement a diet that is otherwise lacking in B12.

Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Vitamin B12 deficiency can be hard to spot, and often takes a long time to develop. Symptoms include dizziness, paleness, and shortness of breath, fatigue, anemia and hearing problems. If your diet doesn't include a lot of foods rich in vitamin B12, and you develop any of these symptoms, have your doctor check to see if you are suffering from a vitamin deficiency.

These are early symptoms. If the condition remains untreated the effects are more serious. Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause progressive damage to the nervous system, especially the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord. When the spinal cord is involved, the first symptoms include difficulty in feeling vibrations in the feet, loss of position sense, and loss of muscle co-ordination. Other advanced symptoms are weight loss, exaggerated reflexes, damage to the optic nerve, hallucinations, personality and mood changes. Eventually those suffering from a deficiency will develop an enlarged spleen and liver.

The good news is that with a sensible diet including either animal products or enriched cereals, most of us can keep our vitamin B12 intake at a healthy level. A daily intake of animal protein or cereals enriched with vitamin B12 is usually enough to satisfy the recommended daily allowance. As we get older, the rules change and we find that we need to make up for those vitamins our bodies can no longer absorb from food on their own. After the age of 50 it may be wise to take a supplement of some kind.

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