Vitamin B-12 or cobalamin helps keep your nervous system healthy. You require it for the normal growth and production of red blood cells. Bacteria, fungi and algae that are present in soil and water, produce vitamin B-12, according to Vegetarian & Vegan Foundation. Cows and fish absorb the vitamin B-12 from soil and water. When you consume beef, dairy and fish, you also absorb vitamin B-12 which is mainly found in beef liver, beef, fish, seafood, yogurt and milk. Since plants do not absorb vitamin B-12, vegans are more at risk for a vitamin B-12 deficiency than lacto-ovo vegetarians and non-vegetarians.
Fortified Foods
Plant foods are not an adequate source of vitamin B-12. If you are a vegan, you must obtain your vitamin B-12 from fortified foods such as fortified cereal, soy milk, fortified meat analogues and fortified nutritional yeast products. If the food is fortified with vitamin B-12, this information as well as the amount of vitamin B-12 will be posted in the list of ingredients on the product label. Due to the effects of modern food processing, tempeh, miso and sea vegetables are not reliable sources of vitamin B-12 for vegans.
Deficiency
Even if your diet lacks vitamin B-12, deficiency is uncommon, unless you are elderly. Elderly people have a decreased ability to absorb vitamin B-12 due to decreased production of stomach acid needed for absorption. If you are a vegan, the American Dietetic Association recommends that you supplement with vitamin B-12 during both pregnancy and lactation to ensure that enough of the vitamin is transferred to both the fetus and infant, as published in National Institutes of Health.
Normal Levels
Your Vitamin B-12 status can be determined by your serum or plasma vitamin B-12 levels, as well as your methylmalonic acid levels. Serum or plasma vitamin B-12 levels below 170 to 250 pg/mL for adults generally indicates a vitamin B-12 deficiency. Methylmalonic acid levels over 0.4 micromol/L also indicates vitamin B-12 deficiency.
Supplements
Vitamin B-12 deficiency can cause fatigue as well as tingling and numbness of the limbs. If you are a healthy vegan and you consume a variety of vitamin B-12 fortified, plant-based foods, you should be able to avoid vitamin B-12 deficiency. If your doctor advises you to take a vitamin B-12 supplement, your supplement should consist of an active form of cyanocobalamin.
Member Comments