Vitamin B12

in

A common myth amongst vegetarians and vegans is that it's possible to get B12 from plant sources like seaweed, fermented soy, spirulina and brewers yeast. But plant foods said to contain B12 actually contain B12 analogs called cobamides that block intake of and increase the need for true B12.This explains why studies consistently demonstrate that up to 50% of long-term vegetarians and 80% of vegans are deficient .. B12.

sets

Anemia is the final stage of B12 deficiency. Long before anemia ... in, B12 deficiency causes several other problems, including fatigue, lethargy, weakness, memory loss and neurological and psychiatric problems.

deficiency

Approximately 1 in 20 omnivores are B12 deficient. In my practice I'd estimate the rate at closer to 1 in 15, possibly because I see a lot of people with gut problems and that is one of the risk factors for B12 ... .

irreversible

B-12 depletion can take years to become clinically evident (i.e. deficiency sets in long before obvious symptoms appear), and some of the more serious effects of B12 deficiency (such as nerve damage) are ir... .

longer

B12 doesn't come from animal meat or their muscle tissue, it comes from the bacteria in their body. The animal isn't the source, it's the carrier, and with irradiation increasing due to fatal diseases like e-coli increasing, B12 content in meat will diminish. Also, the l... you cook meat, the more you destroy its B 12 content. JK

cobalamin

B12 is the only vitamin that contains a trace element (cobalt), which is why it's called co... . Cobalamin is produced in the gut of animals. It's the only vitamin we can't obtain from plants or sunlight. Plants don't need B12 so they don't store it. B12 is found exclusively in animal foods, such as liver, clams, oysters, mussels, fish eggs, octopus, fish, crab and lobster, beef, lamb, cheese and eggs.

leads

People who have pernicious anemia can't absorb enough vitamin B12 from food. This is because they lack intrinsic (in-TRIN-sik) factor, a protein made in the stomach. A lack of this protein ... to vitamin B12 deficiency.

make

Pernicious anemia (per-NISH-us uh-NEE-me-uh) is a condition in which the body can't ... enough healthy red blood cells because it doesn't have enough vitamin B12.

abstain

it's absolutely crucial for those that a... from animal products to understand that there are no plant sources of B12 and that all vegans and most vegetarians should supplement with B12. This is especially important for vegetarian or vegan children or pregnant women, whose need for B12 is even greater than adults.

failure

Signs and Symptoms of Anemia The most common symptom of all types of anemia is fatigue (tiredness). Fatigue occurs because your body doesn't have enough red blood cells to carry oxygen to its various parts. A low red blood cell count also can cause shortness of breath, dizziness, headache, coldness in your hands and feet, pale or yellowish skin, and chest pain. A lack of red blood cells also means that your heart has to work harder to move oxygen-rich blood through your body. This can lead to irregular heartbeats called arrhythmias (ah-RITH-me-ahs), heart murmur, an enlarged heart, or even heart f... .

loss

Signs and Symptoms of Vitamin B12 Deficiency Vitamin B12 deficiency may lead to nerve damage. This can cause tingling and numbness in your hands and feet, muscle weakness, and loss of reflexes. You also may feel unsteady, lose your balance, and have trouble walking. Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause weakened bones and may lead to hip fractures. Severe vitamin B12 deficiency can cause neurological problems, such as confusion, dementia, depression, and memory l... . Other symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency involve the digestive tract. These symptoms include nausea (feeling sick to your stomach) and vomiting, heartburn, abdominal bloating and gas, constipation or diarrhea, loss of appetite, and weight loss. An enlarged liver is another symptom. A smooth, thick, red tongue also is a sign of vitamin B12 deficiency and pernicious anemia.

dose

Some recent studies have suggested that high ... oral or nasal administration may be as effective as injections for those with B12 malabsorption problems. However, most B12 experts still recommend injections for people with pernicious anemia and advanced B12 deficiency involving neurological symptoms.

oxygen

Without enough vitamin B12, your red blood cells don't divide normally and are too large. They may have trouble getting out of the bone marrow—a sponge-like tissue inside the bones where blood cells are made. Without enough red blood cells to carry o... to your body, you may feel tired and weak. Severe or long-lasting pernicious anemia can damage the heart, brain, and other organs in the body. Pernicious anemia also can cause other problems, such as nerve damage, neurological problems (such as memory loss), and digestive tract problems. People who have pernicious anemia also may be at higher risk for weakened bone strength and stomach cancer.

far

...a significant association between cobalamin [b12] status and performance on tests measuring fluid intelligence, spatial ability and short-term memory" with formerly vegan kids scoring lower than omnivorous kids in each case. The deficit in fluid intelligence is particularly troubling, the researchers said, because: it involves reasoning, the capacity to solve complex problems, abstract thinking ability and the ability to learn. Any defect in this area may have ...-reaching consequences for individual functioning.

superior

Cyanocobalamin is the most frequently used form of B12 supplementation in the US. But recent evidence suggests that hydroxycobalamin (frequently used in Europe) is s... to cyanocobalamin, and methylcobalamin may be superior to both - especially for neurological disease. Japanese studies indicate that methylcobalamin is even more effective in treating the neurological sequelae of B12 deficiency, and that it may be better absorbed because it bypasses several potential problems in the B12 absorption cycle. On top of that, methylcobalamin provides the body with methyl groups that play an role in various biological processes important to overall health.

safe

Having a plant based diet doesn't absolutely mean you will be deficient in B12 , there are plenty of people who form it naturally in their bodies and get small amounts from mushrooms which can be enough. My professional and personal opinion on this one vitamin is to play s... and take a supplement regardless of whether you are plant based or omnivore. JK

harmful

I am discussing toxins a lot is because it is a critical factor in understanding B12 absorption. B12 comes from bacteria. The bacteria in soil, bacteria grown on plants, and bacteria grown in our body. For the human body to create this bacteria it needs a very clean healthy environment - this is where the toxins come in and disrupt the process. You also need a healthy pancreas to properly absorb B12 via food, but if the pancreas is busy reacting to toxins and sugar and other h... elements, it can't do its real job. JK

time

I'll look at my own life: pretty pure, plant strong, organic when possible (not always possible), high raw, everything from toothpaste to laundry detergent are eco-friendly non-toxic phosphate-free....but - there's always a but - I travel, I shower in hotels with no filter on the water (causing my skin to absorb goodness knows what), I eat at airports and can't always find organic, I am forced to drink from bottled water sometimes which I know contains rocket fuel half the time, I live in an urban city, breathe in fumes... I must have hundreds of toxins in my body at any given t... and I take great care - imagine the average person? JK

fact

If you can't get either of these tests, you can order the standard serum B12 test. However, in that case you need to use a different range than what the lab provides. Although most labs define deficiency at <200 pg/mL, it is well documented that many people experience signs and symptoms of B12 deficiency at levels between 200 pg/mL and 350 pg/mL.Also, be aware that a high serum B12 does not necessarily rule out functional/active B12 deficiency. In f... , I have come to view a high serum B12 in the absence of supplementation as a potential red flag for active B12 deficiency.

tested

If you suspect you have B12 deficiency, the first step is to get t... . You need an accurate baseline to work from. If you are B12 deficient, the next step is to identify the mechanism causing the deficiency. This is something you'll probably need help with from a medical practitioner. Once the mechanism is identified, the appropriate form (injection, oral, sublingual or nasal) of supplementation, the dose and the length of treatment can be selected.

available

Of all of the available markers I mentioned above, holo-TC is considered to be the most sensitive. It can detect B12 deficiency in Stages I & II, whereas urinary MMA and homocysteine typically don't become elevated until Stage III. Unfortunately, holo-TC is not yet widely ... .

using

One of the biggest problems with diagnosing B12 deficiency is that the conventional serum B12 test that most doctors run only picks up a small fraction of people who are actually B12 deficient. This test measures the total amount of B12 in the blood, and does not rule out functional B12 deficiency. More sensitive markers for B12 deficiency are now available, including methylmalonic acid (MMA) and holotranscobalamin II (holo-TC). MMA is converted to succinic acid via an active-B12 dependent enzyme, so if MMA levels are high, it suggests that active B12 is lacking. Holotranscobalamin II is composed of vitamin B12 attached to transcobalamin, and it represents the biologically active part of B12 that can actually be delivered to the cells and perform all of the functions of B12. Studies using these newer methods report much higher levels of deficiency than studies ... only serum B12.

Care

Ongoing ... If you have pernicious anemia, you may need lifelong treatment. See your doctor regularly for checkups and ongoing care. Take vitamin B12 supplements as your doctor advises. During your followup visits, your doctor may check for signs of vitamin B12 deficiency. He or she also may adjust your treatment as needed. If you have pernicious anemia, you're at higher risk for stomach cancer. Also, tell your family members, especially your children and brothers and sisters, that you have pernicious anemia. Pernicious anemia can run in families, so they may have a higher risk for the condition.

Pernicious

P... anemia usually is easy to treat with vitamin B12 shots or pills. If you have severe pernicious anemia, your doctor may recommend shots first. Shots usually are given in a muscle every day or every week until the level of vitamin B12 in your blood increases. After your vitamin B12 blood level returns to normal, you may get a shot only once a month.

deficient

The absorption of B12 is complex and involves several steps - each of which can go wrong. Causes of B12 malabsorption include:■intestinal dysbiosis■leaky gut and/or gut inflammation■atrophic gastritis or hypochlorhydria (low stomach acid)■pernicious anemia (autoimmune condition)■medications (especially PPIs and other acid-suppressing drugs)■alcohol■exposure to nitrous oxide (during surgery or recreational use)This explains why B12 deficiency can occur even in people eating large amounts of B12-containing animal products. In fact, many of my patients that are B12 ... are following a Paleo diet where they eat meat 2-3 times a day.

eating

The effects of B12 deficiency on kids are especially alarming. Studies have shown that kids raised until age 6 on a vegan diet are still B12 deficient even years after they start ... at least some animal products.

refers

The term "anemia" usually ... to a condition in which the blood has a lower than normal number of red blood cells. In pernicious anemia, the body can't make enough healthy red blood cells because it doesn't have enough vitamin B12.

deadly

The term "pernicious" means "... ." The condition is called pernicious anemia because it often was fatal in the past, before vitamin B12 treatments were available. Now, pernicious anemia usually is easy to treat with vitamin B12 pills or shots. With ongoing care and proper treatment, most people who have pernicious anemia can recover, feel well, and live normal lives. Without treatment, pernicious anemia can lead to serious problems with the heart, nerves, and other parts of the body. Some of these problems may be permanent.

blood

Vitamin B12 works together with folate in the synthesis of DNA and red ... cells. It's also involved in the production of the myelin sheath around the nerves, and the conduction of nerve impulses. You can think of the brain and the nervous system as a big tangle of wires. Myelin is the insulation that protects those wires and helps them to conduct messages.