The Importance of Vitamin B12

[MichaelJH]

As most of you will know I am not a great fan of media and in particular tabloid newspapers where the headline is more inportant than the true facts. However, in posting this link I am making an exception. Many people choose to persue a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. Meat c ontains Vitamin B12 which is essential to one's health. The report here is about a young man who could have died following a meat free diet lacking in B12. Besides meat B12 is available in eggs, milk, fortified ceral and many other foods but NOT in fruit and veg. So if you are on a meat free diet do keep an eye on your B12 intake!

msn.com/en-gb/health/medica...

[Heythrop51]

I see M&S are promoting Veganuary but I haven't noticed them mentioning the nutrional risks. But then it's all about profit !

[Squash1961]

Thanks Michael, interesting article. But it’s a one off storey for headline grabbing. The facts are that B12 deficiency is about 6% in the UK and affects far more non Vegans. B12 is found in contaminated water and soil, which historically is absorbed by farming animals. However, with improved hygiene (which is a good thing, since Cholera is now a thing of the past) Farmer’s now inject cattle with B12, so it is not naturally occurring in meat. So if you don’t want to eat meat, you can cut out the middle man and either take fortified cereals or a supplement. But as someone as mentioned, it may take years for depletion to occur, if at all. I wouldn’t suggest eating meat just to get your B12. Remember the WHO list processed meat as a class A carcinogen (along with Asbestos and Smoking) and red meat (whether it’s grass fed or not) as a class 2 carcinogen (along with asphalt and phenols) also, from a health perspective both the British and American Societies of dieticians have stated that a whole food plant based diet is not only suitable for everyone, it can in many cases assist in reducing cardiovascular disease, certain cancers and type 2 diabetes.

I personally like the quote from Dr Kym Williams, former president of the American society of cardiologists, ‘ There are two types of Cardiologists, Vegans, and those who haven’t done the research “

[fishonabike in reply to Squash1961]

i am a little confused by your implied suggestion that Vit B12 is not naturally occurring in meat (and therefore animal products)

if farm animals have to be given supplements to compensate for their dietary lack due to modern hygiene and humans who do not consume animal products also need B12 supplements how on earth did we all evolve this far before the supplements were discovered ?

[JeremiahObadiah in reply to fishonabike]

As I understand it, and I’m not a dietician/expert, vitaminB12 isn’t in meat per se because actually it’s a bacteria.

As you say we evolved in far less sanitised environments than we live now. Animals also lived in less scrubbed and scientific surroundings. Vegetables were also far more likely to be contaminated with dung. Combined with people living longer in general, and various specific conditions, make them more likely to become deficient in VitB12.

Apparently the b12 you can obtain via animal products is less absorbable than other forms.

I did have a blood test as a parent had become deficient (quite serious situation requiring transfusions and then injections, due to stomach ulcer and treatment after that) and I was fine despite being mainly vegetarian.

VitaminD is another deficiency of which it’s good to be aware.

However all vitamins should only be in recommended doses, not in excess. A pharmacist should be able to tell you if something you already take is not compatible or ask your GP if you are able to.

[fishonabike in reply to JeremiahObadiah]

There are few slight "misconceptions" in what you say:

B12 is in meat beceause it is stored there until needed as a vital component of blood cells.

Vitamin B12 is not a bacterium (N.B. Bacteria is the plural form of the word).

Vit B12 is produced by bacteria in the gut of many animals, these bacteria are part of the gut microflora or microbiome and animals need them the help break down (digest) food and liberate the nutrients in them for the gut to absorb. It could be argued that they have been a vital part of animal evolution, and we would not have got to this point without them. The human gut contains these bacteria but they are usually found too far down the gut for the liberated Vit B12 to be absorbed, so we have to obtain in an absorbable (bioavailable) form from our diet.

Bacteria are only contaminants if they get into the wrong place, rather like weeds which are actually plants in the wrong place.

The reason that modern farm animals have to have vit B12 supplements is that their artificial diet and super-clean environments do not provide enough exposure to the vital bacteria for them to have a healthy gut microflora. Gut microflora is often acquired by animals in their infancy, through contact with food which naturally hosts bacteria and yeasts. But it is also topped up throughout life when consuming that animal's normal diet.

For humans the vitamin B12 in animal products is more bioavailable than from plant sources, but the form in manufactured supplements is even more bioavailable.

[JeremiahObadiah in reply to fishonabike]

I stand corrected-I did say it was only my understanding and I have no expertise obviously-only snippets of stuff I’ve picked up over time and obviously some big errors.

Thank you for your input and corrections.

[Ethel14]

I have just had some bloods done as 3 of my heart tablets can deplete B12 awaiting results

[Monty2022 in reply to Ethel14]

hello Ethel, interested to know what heart tablets are you taking that deplete B12. Thanks , hope the results are favourable.

[Ethel14 in reply to Monty2022]

my hair is also thinning, my gp said no to hair/nail vitamins hence the blood tests.It was my pharmacist that said 3 of my tablets caused problems but didn’t say which. I take bisoprolol, Ticagrelor, losartan, aspirin, ezetimibe, omeprazole, Ivabradine Eplerenone

[Silvertail in reply to Ethel14]

I have a B12 deficiency despite eating meat and fortified foods. I, also, am interested in finding out why vegans won't eat/drink eggs or milk - no animals are harmed or killed to provide these. Or am I mistaken that the reason is cruelty to animals?

[fishonabike in reply to Silvertail]

The milk we drink was originally meant for consumption by calves, the eggs we eat were originally meant to be new chickens - what we consume is an artificially generate excess produced by the animals under farmed conditions - so, from the animal welfare point of view, animals are "harmed" to produce milk and eggs - this is a form of exploitation and is seen by some as harmful and abusive to animals

for us to have milk a calf has to be taken away from it's mother before it is weaned - the female calves end up as more milking cows which are usually "disposed of"* at the end of their "useful life" i.e. reaching menopause! while the males end up as beef, if suitable, but the "unsuitable" ones are "disposed of"

(* inverted commas indicate that i am trying to avoid using more brutal terms)

it is possible to have excess milk for human consumption in a way which does not involve separating calves from their mothers before they are weaned but it does not produce milk in the same quantities which modern western consumers expect

the situation is similar for eggs in that it is not possible to produce enough eggs for current human consumption from chickens which live completely free-range and in a natural habitat

i should add that i eat animal products am not an advocate of any diet which involves cutting out any single major food group, but i would like to live more sustainably

[Silvertail in reply to fishonabike]

Thank you for your informative reply. I've never known the rationale behind avoiding milk and eggs.

[JeremiahObadiah]

Nutritional Yeast Flakes-available in supermarkets or health food shops/online-contain vitB12. I am not a total vegetarian but avoid meat and cheese products at home.

I eat a lot more than 5 portions of veg and fruit a day.

I’m not saying it’s the answer, it’s an answer.

[Mac-beats]

I eat a totally plant based diet because, having done extensive research, I personally believe it’s the best diet IF you have coronary artery disease.

That’s my personal choice, best for me, but what other people eat is none of my business!

As regards B12, I take a spray supplement, regularly eat Nutritional Yeast and eat fortified cereal and plant milk. Had my B12 levels checked a few months ago and it was well above the minimum. So, for vegans/plant based eaters I think the answer is a well planned diet which covers the essential vitamins.

[Crackerchops]

I am a meat eater and ensure I eat a balanced diet. I had a aorta valve fitted last March with a good recovery until about June and started to experience strange symptoms of slurred speech which would crop up any time giving the imprecation I was having a stroke. I also had difficulty holding my head upright resting it on my chest. This was painful and rather concerning. A long story short after visits to a neurologist, speech therapist and cardio specialist with no clear answer. A blood test in September picked my iron was very low and needed an intravenous iron. Three weeks later and I noticed my speech had improved and the head and neck problem had eased. I was not told by any specialist my symptoms were related to an iron deficiency and if anyone else has had similar symptoms?

[Poppy451]

I am pescatarian and have been since a teenager. I dont think I am lacking in b12 as I eat a fair amount of fish and eggs and odd bit of goats cheese . I get the benefit of omega 3 fish oil and tonnes of fruit and veg. I couldnt stomach the thought of eating meat now.