Vegan Paralysis

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Those eating plant-based diets must ensure a reliable source of vitamin B12 via supplements or fortified foods.

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So that’s calcium and iodine, but I’ve saved the most important for last. Studies continue to show that those eating plant-based diets tend not to get enough vitamin B12. But really, what’s the worst that can happen if we don’t get enough B12? Well, if you happen to flip open an issue of the Medical Journal of Nutrition this summer, you’d see titles like this: “Irreversible subacute sclerotic combined degeneration of the spinal cord in a vegan subject”—and yes, it really is as bad as it sounds. If you look here closely, a 57-year-old man, member of a “vegan cult”—can you blame the doctor, though? Look at what non-B12-supplemented veganism did to this guy: rotted his spinal cord from the inside out. They immediately started B12 injections, and he got better. He’s still paralyzed, and may never walk again—but at least he’s alive.

We wonder why nutritionists and doctors may be skeptical about plant-based diets after reading case reports like this? And it’s so easy to get our B12. B12-fortified foods like fortified breakfast cereals, fortified soy milk, fortified nutritional yeast, or little supplements. Sublingual B12 tablets once a week; it’s all in the handout that should have come with the DVD, and you know we’ll never hear of anything like this ever again.

To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video. This is just an approximation of the audio contributed by veganmontreal.

Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.

So that’s calcium and iodine, but I’ve saved the most important for last. Studies continue to show that those eating plant-based diets tend not to get enough vitamin B12. But really, what’s the worst that can happen if we don’t get enough B12? Well, if you happen to flip open an issue of the Medical Journal of Nutrition this summer, you’d see titles like this: “Irreversible subacute sclerotic combined degeneration of the spinal cord in a vegan subject”—and yes, it really is as bad as it sounds. If you look here closely, a 57-year-old man, member of a “vegan cult”—can you blame the doctor, though? Look at what non-B12-supplemented veganism did to this guy: rotted his spinal cord from the inside out. They immediately started B12 injections, and he got better. He’s still paralyzed, and may never walk again—but at least he’s alive.

We wonder why nutritionists and doctors may be skeptical about plant-based diets after reading case reports like this? And it’s so easy to get our B12. B12-fortified foods like fortified breakfast cereals, fortified soy milk, fortified nutritional yeast, or little supplements. Sublingual B12 tablets once a week; it’s all in the handout that should have come with the DVD, and you know we’ll never hear of anything like this ever again.

To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video. This is just an approximation of the audio contributed by veganmontreal.

Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.

Doctor's Note

More on Vitamin B12:

For further context, check out my associated blog post: Vegan B12 deficiency: putting it into perspective.

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