29
videos
Vitamin B12
The results of vitamin B12 deficiency can be devastating. Learn more in our easy-to-understand videos on the latest research.
Vitamin B12 is not made by plants or animals but by microbes that blanket the earth. In today’s sanitized, modern world, the water supply is commonly chlorinated to kill off any bacteria. So, while we don’t get much B12 in the water anymore, we don’t get much cholera, either, which is a good thing!
A regular, reliable source of vitamin B12 is critical for anyone eating a plant-based diet. Though deficiency for those starting out with adequate stores may take years to develop, the results of B12 deficiency can be devastating, with cases reported of paralysis, psychosis, blindness, and even death. Newborn infants of mothers who eat a plant-based diet and who fail to supplement may develop deficiency much more rapidly with disastrous results. Getting enough vitamin B12 is absolutely nonnegotiable for those centering their diets around plant-based foods.
For adults under age 65, the easiest way to get B12 is to take at least one 2,000 mcg supplement each week or a daily dose of 50 mcg. Note that these doses are specific to cyanocobalamin, the preferred supplemental form of vitamin B12, as there is insufficient evidence to support the efficacy of the other forms, like methylcobalamin.
As we age, our ability to absorb vitamin B12 may decline. For those over 65 who eat plant-based diets, the supplementation should probably be increased up to 1,000 mcg of cyanocobalamin each day.
Instead of taking B12 supplements, it is possible to get sufficient amounts from B12-fortified foods, but we would have to eat three servings a day of foods each providing at least 190 percent of the Daily Value (on the Nutrition Facts label), with each serving eaten at least four to six hours after the last (based on the new labeling mandated to start January 1, 2020—the target is 4.5 mcg three times a day). For B12-fortified nutritional yeast, for example, two teaspoons three times a day may suffice. For most of us, though, it would probably be cheaper and more convenient to just take a supplement. Our fellow great apes get all the B12 they need eating bugs, dirt, and feces, but I’d suggest supplements instead!
Image Credit: NatchaS / Thinkstock. This image has been modified.
Popular Videos for Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 Necessary for Arterial Health
The cardiovascular benefits of plant-based diets may be severely undermined by vitamin B12 deficiency.
New Vitamin B12 Test
Who should get tested for vitamin B12 (cobalamin) deficiency, and which is the best test...
Daily Source of Vitamin B12
Fortified foods, such as some breakfast cereals and types of nutritional yeast, can provide another...All Videos for Vitamin B12
-
How to Prevent Toxoplasmosis
The risk of contracting the brain parasite toxoplasma from kitty litter vs. meat.
-
Do Apricot Seeds Work as an Alternative Cancer Cure?
Do those who choose alternative cancer treatments live longer?
-
Benefits of a Macrobiotic Diet for Diabetes
What happens when you add massive amounts of carbs to the daily diet of type 2 diabetics in the form of whole grains?
-
Best Supplement for Canker Sores
Vitamin C, turmeric, beta glucan fiber, and vitamin B12 are put to the test for recurring canker sores (aphthous ulcers).
-
Eczema Treatment with Coconut Oil, Mineral Oil vs. Vaseline
Natural topical remedies for eczema, including licorice root gel, St. John’s Wort cream, and emollients such as coconut oil, mineral oil, and petroleum jelly, are put to the test.
-
Best Foods to Reduce Stroke Risk
What are the protective components of dietary patterns and foods associated with lower risk of cerebrovascular disease, or stroke?
-
What’s the “Natural” Human Diet?
What can our nutrient requirements, metabolism, and physiology tell us about what we should be eating?
-
Can Morbid Obesity Be Reversed Through Diet?
How extreme was Dr. Kempner’s rice diet compared to traditional surgical approaches? Is there a safer alternative?
-
Preventing Brain Loss with B Vitamins?
One week on a plant-based diet can significantly drop blood levels of homocysteine, a toxin associated with cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease. Without vitamin B12 supplementation, though, a long-term plant-based diet could make things worse.
-
Vitamin B12 Necessary for Arterial Health
The cardiovascular benefits of plant-based diets may be severely undermined by vitamin B12 deficiency.
-
Nutrient-Dense Approach to Weight Management
Americans eating meat-free diets average higher intakes of nearly every nutrient, while maintaining a lower body weight—perhaps due, in part, to their higher resting metabolic rates.
-
Artificial Food Colors & ADHD
In response to definitive evidence showing artificial colors may increase inattentiveness, impulsivity, and hyperactivity among young children, a call has been made by consumer groups to ban food dyes.
