Posted on July 01, 2016 by Kate Halsall
True story…..”The blood tests you had have come back as normal, apart from your B12 level”. This is the first line of a letter I received this week. I’m not alarmed or worried, vitamin B12 deficiency is common in vegetarians and vegans – although, that said, back in 2013 40% of people were deficient in B12 – and not just vegetarians/vegans!
What alarmed me more actually, is that the hospital want me to have more blood tests to “look into reasons why it may be low” and have recommended that I start “replacement Vitamin B12”. They have not taken into consideration anything with regards to lifestyle or diet etc… I HATE needles of any sort, so to learn from this experience I am looking into my diet and lifestyle to ensure I’m getting enough Vitamin B12 – are you having enough?
Vitamin B12 – What it does?
It’s essential for your metabolism to function, keeping your brain healthy, your immune system, nerves and it makes red blood cells and DNA. Most importantly, we don’t naturally create B12 in our bodies, so we need to source it from elsewhere.
Vitamin B12 – Deficiency Symptoms?
These include: exhaustion and fatigue, anemia, depression, nerve problems (such as tingling, loss of feeling and so on) and being light headed. Of course, that’s not to say that if you experience any of these you absolutely have Vitamin B12 deficiency!
Vitamin B12 – Why Vegetarians & Vegans Are Most At Risk?
Vitamin B12 is mainly sourced from animal products (see list below), so if you’re vegan and therefore don’t eat any animal products (including meat, milk, cheese, and eggs) or a vegetarian who doesn’t eat enough eggs or dairy products, you may be lacking in the B12 department.
Vitamin B12 – Where To Get It From?
The best sources are meat and fish – specifically beef and mackerel; eggs and milk (and other dairy products such as cheese). There are also some fortified soy products and cereals out there which have Vitamin B12 in them. I personally have started to ensure I take a B or B12 supplement every day as I try not to have too much soy!. I’ve included a link to the ones I use below.
I’m a big believer that we eat for health – if we have a good balanced diet, then we should have a good healthy life. However, sometimes it is simple to overlook those essential nutients like vitamin B12 – even when we are eating clean! You need to ensure you’re aware of what you’re getting and more importantly what you’re not getting – as it may save you a lot of blood and other tests in the future!
Vegetarian & Vegan vitamins: http://www.togetherhealth.co.uk/
Further Reading:
http://blogs.naturalnews.com/headed-towards-vitamin-b12-deficiency/
http://www.elephantjournal.com/2013/05/40-of-us-are-vitamin-b12-deficient-are-you/
https://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/foods-high-in-vitamin-B12.php