Following a vegetarian diet allows you to consume certain foods from animal sources, such as dairy and eggs, while avoiding eating meat products. A vegetarian who eats eggs, but avoids all other animal-based products, is an ovo-vegetarian. Before considering an ovo-vegetarian diet, you should work with your doctor to ensure that you will have the nutrients you need. Vitamin B-12 is a nutrient found mainly in animal-based foods, and some vegetarians do not get enough in their diet.
Vitamin B-12
Your body requires vitamin B-12 to form red blood and to help with the synthesis of your DNA. You also need this nutrient for your neurological processes. The Office of Dietary Supplements states that strict vegetarians have a higher risk for a deficiency since animal-based products offer the most common natural source for B-12.
Food Sources
For the average adult, the recommended intake for vitamin B-12 is 2.4 micrograms. To help you reach this intake level, ovo-vegetarians must look at their available sources to determine their intake. An egg is the only animal-based food that this type of vegetarian will eat. Eggs do, in fact, contain vitamin B-12, but one large egg contains 0.6 micrograms of the nutrient. This means that, for the average adult, one large egg will provide only 10 percent of the necessary intake.
Vegetarians may also use nutritional yeast, a product that has a "cheese" flavor that can help flavor soups, sauces and other foods. If you use nutritional yeast for vitamin B-12, you need to read the label to determine the vitamin B-12 content since each manufacturer will vary. Fortified cereals often contain vitamin B-12, and the nutrition label will state how much.
Signs of Deficiency
If you follow an ovo-vegetarian diet, or any other diet that restricts your food sources of vitamin B-12, you may have a risk for a vitamin B-12 deficiency. Signs of a problem include weakness, fatigue and weight loss. You may also experience tingling and numbness in your extremities. Some people may also have problems with balance, mouth sores and thought processes, such as memory and confusion.
Considerations
Anytime you suspect that you have a vitamin deficiency, contact your doctor for an evaluation. She will monitor the nutrient levels in your blood and recommend any treatment. If you have a risk for a nutritional deficiency, your doctor may have you take a multivitamin.
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