Are you getting enough B-12 from your vegan diet? B-12 is a vitamin that is quite unique in that it is not reliably supplied from a varied wholefood, plant-based diet even if combined with exposure to sun. Instead, vitamin B-12 is produced in the guts of animals, including human beings. Unlike other herbivorous mammals, such as sheep and cows, humans produce B-12 further down their digestive tract. This means that we can’t absorb our own and instead excrete it, thus having to search for the vitamin from other sources.
According to Medical News Today the U.S. recommended intake of vitamin B-12 is 2.4 to 2.8 micrograms a day for the average adult. Health benefits of vitamin B-12 include:
- helps with red blood cell formation and anemia prevention
- prevents loss of neurons
- synthesizes a person’s DNA
- gives you an energy boost
Meanwhile, clinical deficiency of vitamin B-12 can cause anemia or nervous system damage. Symptoms of vitamin B-12 may include loss of energy, tingling, numbness, reduced sensitivity to pain or pressure, blurred vision, abnormal gait, sore tongue, poor memory, confusion, hallucinations and personality changes. Symptoms may develop gradually over the course of several months to a few years.
Now there has been an ongoing debate as to where B-12 may be obtained. Some argue that it is found to some extent in soil and plants, which suggest that whether or not a person is getting B-12 isn’t an issue requiring any special attention. Others argue that specific foods, including spirulina, nori, tempeh, and barley grass, are suitable non-animal sources of B-12. However, neither argument has been successfully proven.
Nonetheless, some plant based foods that can be fortified with vitamin B-12 include:
- fortified non-dairy milk
- meat substitutes
- vegan breakfast cereals (be sure to verify on label)
- nutritional yeast
- vegan spreads
- vitamin B-12 supplements
Ultimately, getting an adequate amount of vitamin B-12 doesn’t have to be a mission impossible. It’s very accessible, thus may easily be consumed so that you reap the benefits and meat your nutritional needs. Simply be mindful that it is vital that vegans find alternative sources of vitamin B-12 to remain in the best health.
Have you made the assessment? Are you getting enough B-12 from your vegan diet?
