Vegans: what do you do about vitamin B12?

claraoswold

Not a vegan, but I take b12 and b complex since my gp says it will help me with cyclic depression around my period.

shartran

NUTRITIONAL YEAST! It's so yummy. Sprinkle on savory items - it has a nutty, cheesy taste.
- My B12 is actually high...but apparently this does not affect my health (my doctor isn't concerned and I've looked it up too...)

jamielynnmobile

Solgar sublingual liquid B12 with B complex. I buy it on Amazon and take it morning & night. Been taking for 3 years and I love it.

VeryKatie

geneticsteacher wrote: »

B12 remains in the bloodstream for approximately 5 days; in the liver for approximately 12 months.

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v198/n4876/abs/198200a0.html

A deficiency of B12 is common in vegetarians who do not take supplements or eat foods fortified with B12.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/nure.12001/abstract?deniedAccessCustomisedMessage=&userIsAuthenticated=false

They're talking about half life, not how long the B12 is EFFECTIVE while being in your system. No reference to how potent the B12 must be to be effective for supplying you with vitamins. Maybe it's at the 90% decay mark. Maybe the 99% Maybe 50%. More articles please - which actually discuss this.

geneticsteacher

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2933506/

http://www.nature.com/ejcn/journal/v68/n5/full/ejcn201446a.html

http://medcontent.metapress.com/content/yt15676680l13211/

http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=8850419&fileId=S000711451200520X

http://ajl.sagepub.com/content/7/1/60.full

Kellyfitness128

That's surprising to hear... B12 deficiency takes years and years to develop- how long were you vegan for? I drink Earth Balance soy milk that 50% the RDA for B12 per serving, along with fortified cereal and nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast is really the way to go though, I'll spring some on almost anything I make for dinner. I also take a supplement about once a week.

RISEOFPATRIOTS

kellyb28 wrote: »

That's surprising to hear... B12 deficiency takes years and years to develop- how long were you vegan for? I drink Earth Balance soy milk that 50% the RDA for B12 per serving, along with fortified cereal and nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast is really the way to go though, I'll spring some on almost anything I make for dinner. I also take a supplement about once a week.

Vegans claim to be about health and then consume soy. Talk about fail.

RISEOFPATRIOTS

Also I'm sorry but supplements aren't even the best way to get B12. Your body doesn't even absorb as well as the actual thing you eat it from. Also you miss Vitamin K2 when you don't have animal stuff.

dydn11402

i am 34 weeks pregnant and recently was told that my b12 was low. does this mean that i was most likely low even before pregnancy? what would have been my symptoms?

karamevans

I'd love to know but I'm useless. I was a vegan before becoming pregnant, throughout my time as a vegan I was *extra* conscious to consume plenty of iron... My 8 week pregnancy bloods showed sever iron deficient anaemia and I'm not on medication, d'oh! Let me know when you do

geneticsteacher

Symptoms tend to develop slowly and may not be recognized immediately. As the condition worsens, common symptoms include:

Weakness and fatigue

Light-headedness and dizziness

Palpitations and rapid heartbeat

Shortness of breath

A sore tongue that has a red, beefy appearance

Nausea or poor appetite

Weight loss

Diarrhea

Yellowish tinge to the skin and eyes

If low levels of B12 remain for a long time, the condition also can lead to irreversible damage to nerve cells, which can cause the following symptoms:

Numbness and tingling in the hands and feet

Difficulty walking

Muscle weakness

Irritability

Memory loss

Dementia

Depression


http://www.drugs.com/health-guide/vitamin-b12-deficiency.html