The very real and potentially disastrous effects of vitamin B12 deficiency.
Inverted Rabbit Sign
Below is an approximation of this video’s audio content. To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video.
Before vegans get cocky, though… Floppy ears are cute, on a bunny. Not so cute on your spinal cord. The inverted rabbit ear sign. See how it kind of looks like an upside down bunny with floppy ears? Well, that’s not what your spinal cord’s supposed to look like.
Why did this woman have spastic ataxic quadriparesis, a sensory polyneuropathy, and diffuse spinal cord swelling? Because she was a “strict vegetarian lady.” I assume they mean strictly vegetarian? Then again, maybe she was just quite the disciplinarian. Either way, people eating plant-based diets must take vitamin B12.
Reports continue to pour in from all over the world, whether you’re a vegetariana estricta, a streng vegane, or eating végétalienne, you’d have to be crazy not getting your B12. Literally.
31-year-old stock trader turned paranoid psychotic. But not because he was schizophrenic; because he was vegan, and didn’t eat B12-fortified foods or take a B12 supplement. Suffered for three years before his doctors figured it out.
Kiss me, I’m vegan. No, thank you. 41-year-old woman, vegan for two and a half years without B12. Kiss a vegetarian, and taste the difference? Before, and, after she took her B12. Cleared up in no time. Vegans taste better, when they take their B12.
Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.
- V. K. Paliwal, H. S. Malhotra, R. N. Chaurasia, and A. Agarwal. “Anchor”-shaped bright posterior column in a patient with vitamin B12 deficiency myelopathy. Postgrad Med J, 85(1002):186, 2009.
- A. Mahfoud; C.L. Dominguez; D. Rodríguez & R. Giamporcaro. Deficiencia nutricional de vitamina B12 en la infencia como causa de enccfalopatia. Rev Neurol, 48(8):444-445, 2009.
- A. Flemmer. Vitamin B12-Manfel ist haufig und hat schlimme Folgen. Kinderkrankenschwester, 28(9):382-384, 2009.
- A. Mariani; S. Chalies; E. Jeziorski; C. Ludwig; M. Lalande & M. Rodiére. Consequences de l’allaitement maternel exclusif chez le nouveau-né de mère végétalienne- A propos d’un cas. Arch Pediatr, 16(11):1461-1463, 2009.
- S.C. Kuo; C.B. Yeh; Y.W. Yeh & N.S. Tzeng. Schizophrenia-like psychotic episode precipitated by cobalamin deficiency. Gen Hosp Psychiatry, 31(6):586-588, 2009.
Below is an approximation of this video’s audio content. To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video.
Before vegans get cocky, though… Floppy ears are cute, on a bunny. Not so cute on your spinal cord. The inverted rabbit ear sign. See how it kind of looks like an upside down bunny with floppy ears? Well, that’s not what your spinal cord’s supposed to look like.
Why did this woman have spastic ataxic quadriparesis, a sensory polyneuropathy, and diffuse spinal cord swelling? Because she was a “strict vegetarian lady.” I assume they mean strictly vegetarian? Then again, maybe she was just quite the disciplinarian. Either way, people eating plant-based diets must take vitamin B12.
Reports continue to pour in from all over the world, whether you’re a vegetariana estricta, a streng vegane, or eating végétalienne, you’d have to be crazy not getting your B12. Literally.
31-year-old stock trader turned paranoid psychotic. But not because he was schizophrenic; because he was vegan, and didn’t eat B12-fortified foods or take a B12 supplement. Suffered for three years before his doctors figured it out.
Kiss me, I’m vegan. No, thank you. 41-year-old woman, vegan for two and a half years without B12. Kiss a vegetarian, and taste the difference? Before, and, after she took her B12. Cleared up in no time. Vegans taste better, when they take their B12.
Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.
- V. K. Paliwal, H. S. Malhotra, R. N. Chaurasia, and A. Agarwal. “Anchor”-shaped bright posterior column in a patient with vitamin B12 deficiency myelopathy. Postgrad Med J, 85(1002):186, 2009.
- A. Mahfoud; C.L. Dominguez; D. Rodríguez & R. Giamporcaro. Deficiencia nutricional de vitamina B12 en la infencia como causa de enccfalopatia. Rev Neurol, 48(8):444-445, 2009.
- A. Flemmer. Vitamin B12-Manfel ist haufig und hat schlimme Folgen. Kinderkrankenschwester, 28(9):382-384, 2009.
- A. Mariani; S. Chalies; E. Jeziorski; C. Ludwig; M. Lalande & M. Rodiére. Consequences de l’allaitement maternel exclusif chez le nouveau-né de mère végétalienne- A propos d’un cas. Arch Pediatr, 16(11):1461-1463, 2009.
- S.C. Kuo; C.B. Yeh; Y.W. Yeh & N.S. Tzeng. Schizophrenia-like psychotic episode precipitated by cobalamin deficiency. Gen Hosp Psychiatry, 31(6):586-588, 2009.
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Inverted Rabbit Sign
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Content URLDoctor's Note
Check out these videos for more on Vitamin B12:
New Vitamin B12 Test
Vitamin B12 Necessary for Arterial Health
Safest Source of B12
Daily Source of Vitamin B12
Also, check out my other videos on B12.
For additional context, also see my associated blog posts: Vegan B12 deficiency: putting it into perspective and Do Vegans Get More Cavities?
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