Vitamin B12 Myths: Ditch the Dogma

The following excerpt is from the latest issue of my Rawkin’ Raw Newsletter:

“Where do you get your B12?”

Itʼs one of the many nutritional questions we vegans get asked on a regular basis, but itʼs the only one most of us canʼt seem to answer. And the ones who can answer rarely ever agree with one another.

So in this month’s article, I get to the bottom of the B12 debate, shatter the top 8 myths surrounding this vitamin, and show you the proven—yet super simple—way to fulfill your B12 needs on a vegan diet.

Letʼs get to it, shall we?

Myth #1: Only vegans and vegetarians have to worry about B12 deficiency.

Contrary to popular belief, vegans and vegetarians are not the only ones at risk for a B12 deficiency. The truth is, no matter what you eat, you could be at risk.

According to Sally Pacholok, R.N. and Jeffrey J. Stuart , D.O., authors of Could It Be B12?:

 …while you need only a tiny, tiny amount of B12 each day (two to four micrograms or about a millionth of an ounce), it’s remarkably easy to become deficient in this nutrient.

While deficiency often occurs in vegans or vegetarians who fail to take the right supplements, the majority of B12 deficient people eat plentiful amounts of the vitamin-it’s just that their bodies can’t absorb or use it. (1)

The authors go on to say that the absorption process for B12 is very complex, more so than any other vitamin. Any disruption in this process will hinder B12 absorption.

And if the source of your B12 is meat, this adds an additional process because the B12 must be separated from the proteins in the meat that binds it. This is one possible explanation for why some meat-eaters ingesting plenty of B12 still struggle with getting enough of the vitamin.

Another step in the process involves intrinsic factor (IF), a glycoprotein that combines with B12 and carries the vitamin to the ileum for absorption. If you donʼt produce enough intrinsic factor—a condition known as pernicious anemia—you will not be able to absorb all of the B12 you consume.

Of course, there are other factors that affect intrinsic factor and your bodyʼs ability to absorb B12. Some of these unhealthy habits include drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes, taking drugs (prescribed or otherwise), consuming an acid-forming diet of meat, dairy, and processed grains, eating frozen foods, and using colon cleansing products and procedures.

In summary, B12 deficiency tends to be the result of improper absorption, not inadequacy in the diet. This means that everyone, not just vegans and vegetarians, is at risk for deficiency.

And the science confirms this. In one study, researchers at Tufts University found that almost 40% of 3,000 individuals under the age of 50 had low B12 levels! And according to one of the researchers, “There were very few vegetarians in our study, and a lot were taking vitamin supplements”. (2,3)

In another study, B12 status was analyzed in 340 Australian Seventh-day Adventist ministers. Itʼs no surprise that the vegans and vegetarians in the group had low levels of B12, with approximately 73% below the lower limit of 221 pmol/L. But out of the 53 participants who consumed one or more servings of meat each week, 40% also had blood serum readings below this lower limit. (4)

Myth #2: We can absorb plenty of B12 from bacteria in our intestines.

Many vegan and raw vegans believe that bacteria in our intestines can be an adequate source of vitamin B12. As long as we avoid the unhealthy lifestyle practices that hinder absorption and destroy protective bacteria, we will have no need for supplementation.

As it turns out, many mammals do have the ability to absorb B12 synthesized by bacteria inhabiting their gut. According to the World Health Organization:

Most microorganisms, including bacteria and algae, synthesize vitamin B12, and they constitute the source of the vitamin…

In many animals, gastrointestinal fermentation supports the growth of these vitamin B12 synthesizing microorganisms, and subsequently the vitamin is absorbed and incorporated into the animal tissues. (5)

But what about human beings? Can we really absorb all the B12 we need from the bacteria in our gut?…

Hope you enjoyed that little excerpt! If you’d like to read the rest, click here to join the Rawkin’ Raw Club.

Go raw and be fit,
Swayze

P.S. If you wish to purchase this individual newsletter Vitamin B12 Myths: Ditch the Dogma, you can do so here:

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