(20-10-14) Vitamin B12 - A rare deficiency unless you're vegan

by Kali Sinclair

(NaturalNews) The requirement for vitamin B12 is very low, but it is
absolutely essential. A mild vitamin B12 deficiency results in weakness and
fatigue. A more serious deficiency causes shortness of breath, nervousness,
numbness and tingling in extremities, and problems with balance. A severe
deficiency can lead to nerve damage, pernicious anemia, paranoia, confusion,
problems with memory, depression, delusions, and brain damage.

When taking a B vitamin supplement, it is best to take B12 along with the
other B vitamins in a B complex supplement because any long term use of a
single B vitamin will cause an imbalance in the others, and high doses of folic
acid (B9 ) can mask a B12 deficiency.

Treatments and prevention with B12
B12 has long been used to treat fatigue and general malaise. There is a
possibility that supplementation will improve sperm count. B9 (folic acid) and
B12 may help prevent breast cancer. B complex (especially B12, B6, and B9) help
to lower homocysteine levels. Age related macular degeneration (a condition
that causes blindness in the elderly) may be prevented with B12 and B9.

Foods rich in vitamin B12
Natural food sources high in vitamin B12 include the following: sardines,
salmon, tuna, cod, lamb, shrimp, scallops, beef, yogurt, and milk.

Can human bacteria produce B12?
Vegans and Vegetarians are at high risk for serious B12 deficiency. Many argue
that this is not the case, that with a proper, healthy vegan or vegetarian
diet, the bacteria in our digestive system will produce B12. While this is
true, it is not absorbed. B12 is absorbed in the ileum, the last section of the
small intestine, while our bodies produce B12 in the large intestine,
therefore, it cannot be absorbed. ??

How do vegan animals get vitamin B12? Many species eat their feces and other
animal's feces. They also eat root vegetables with dirt, which sporadically has
small amounts of the vitamin. In the 1950s, vegans with B12 deficiencies
volunteered to eat B12 extracted from their own feces. The experiment worked--
it eliminated their deficiency.

Obviously, there is a better way.

Supplementing with B12
Although B12 is water soluble and is not stored in the fat, it is the one B
vitamin that is stored in the body, in the liver. Many vegetarians and vegans
continue their diet choice without supplementation for a few years without
problems. Scientists speculate that this may be due to B12 reserves. One
depleted, deficiency will result.

Some people claim to get enough vitamin B12 from their own gardens, growing
their own food outside with good soil and eating some of the organic produce
without washing it. This practice places them at high risk of parasitic
infection, but it can yield positive results if their diet is very clean.
Tempeh, miso, sea vegetables, and other plant foods are sometimes reported to
contain vitamin B12, but these are not reliable sources. The good news is, B12
supplementation is easy. Lots of foods are fortified with B12, but if you don't
do prepackaged, processed foods, than you'll need to supplement. There are
plenty of supplements available and some nutritional yeasts are good sources of
B12, but it is important that the yeast come from good sources. We recommend
non-active saccharomyces cerevisiae nutritional yeast.

Remember, if you choose vitamin supplementation, B vitamins should be taken
together in a B-complex form, and ideally, B vitamins should be taken with a
whole food multiple and fresh raw foods.? Shillington's Total Nutrition recipe
(see the first source link below) should offer enough B vitamins (and it has
plenty of B12) for most people. Though many may benefit from a multi
vitamin/mineral and a B complex supplement together. Make sure any B vitamins
you consume come from a reputable source.

For more information on B vitamins and supplementation, read B Vitamins,
Nature's Valium & check the first two sources.

Sources:

http://www.organiclifestylemagazine.com

http://www.organiclifestylemagazine.com

http://www.organiclifestylemagazine.com

http://umm.edu

http://www.whfoods.com

http://health.howstuffworks.com

http://chriskresser.com

http://www.naturalnews.com

http://www.veganhealth.org/b12/int

Vitamin B12.Encyclopedia Britannica, April, 2014

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Per coloro che hanno problemi di salute si consiglia di consultare sempre il proprio medico curante.