Comparison of the quality and amount of Vitamin B12 in animal versus plant-based foods and whether the gut produces this nutrient in usable form.
Modern dietary propaganda consistently gets it wrong…very VERY wrong…when it comes to the critical nutrient Vitamin B12.
The false notions pertaining to proper food sources of B12 have resulted in epidemic numbers of people being deficient in this all-important nutrient. The health consequences of this can be nothing short of devastating over the long term.
Vitamin B12 Deficiency Signs
Deficiency of B12 is extremely dangerous to health and can lead to dementia and even death if not rectified.
Early symptoms include paleness and overall weakness and fatigue. As the anemia caused by B12 deficiency progresses, symptoms can mimic aging.
Thus, some physicians can easily dismiss these signs as a somehow natural or “normal” occurrence.
Later signs include shaky hands or spastic movement in general, sleeping disorders, unsteady gait, incontinence, and memory loss.
Easy bruising is one of the most visible signs. Personality disorders and anger issues can also sometimes manifest.
For those trying to lose weight and using fascia blasting devices to help reduce the appearance of fat, severe bruising can occur.
Nervous system, reproductive, and digestive problems such as depression, tingling hands/feet, stomach upset, constipation (or diarrhea), and difficulties getting pregnant are also warning signs of low B12 status.
Children with B12 deficiency are particularly at risk with permanent damage to development a very real possibility. Growth retardation, delay in motor skill development, and significantly reduced problem-solving, spatial ability, and overall ability to learn are the consequences of low B12 in the developing years.
The real culprit in the B12 deficiency epidemic (by some estimates, about 40% of people are deficient and most are completely unaware of the situation), is the demonization and consequent avoidance of B12 rich foods by a duped public.
B12 High in Animal Foods
The very foods highest in B12, particularly pastured organ meats and fresh eggs, are the very same ones erroneously labeled as unhealthy by conventional nutritional circles. These include:
- liver
- egg yolks
- kidney
- meat (cooking meat only destroys B12 on the surface, not the interior of the meat)
- fish
- shellfish
- dairy products. Note that raw dairy has more B12 than pasteurized. In addition, the milk enzymes that assist with absorbing this nutrient are present in unprocessed dairy.
Ironically, these very same foods were revered by Traditional Societies. The reason is that they imparted vibrant health, vitality, fertility, and healthy babies and children to those that consumed them:
Do Gut Bacteria Produce B12?
Because the original source of B12 in nature is bacteria, some nutritional sources confuse the issue by maintaining that beneficial B12 is synthesized by gut flora in the colon of humans.
While this may be true, the B12 that is produced this way is not in a usable form. The body is able to absorb very little if any bacteria-produced B12 across the walls of the large intestine or colon.
The reason is that the bacteria produced B12 in the gut is not attached to the “intrinsic factor” (IF). This is a special protein that is secreted in the stomach.
B12 must attach to an intrinsic factor protein to be absorbed effectively. This happens when B12 binds with the intrinsic factor that has been broken down by pancreatic enzymes in the small intestine.
The tightly bound B12-intrinsic factor complex then moves through the gut to the Ileum or lower portion of the small intestine. From there, it attaches to cell receptors for absorption.
B12 in Plant Foods
Contrary to claims by the vegan community, usable B12 is not available in algae like clean sources of spirulina or tempeh (a fermented soy product).
The B12 found in these foods is similar to true B12 but not exactly the same thing. The B12 in brewer’s yeast also called nutritional yeast, is due to factory fortification. In other words, it is a synthetic source and not naturally occurring.
Algae Contains B12 Imposter
Studies have indicated that these B12 analogs in algae and tempeh are not bioavailable. Blood levels of the nutrient did not change even after these plant-based foods were added to the diet.
Even worse, these B12 imposters can actually inhibit the absorption of true vitamin B12 as the result of a competitive situation in the digestive system. This puts those that avoid animal foods at an even greater risk for deficiency!
Hindu Vegans without B12 Deficiency
Proponents of the B12 in plant foods myth like to point out that Hindus from India do not seem to suffer from any B12 deficiency despite a diet that includes no animal foods.
However, the discussion conveniently omits that vegan Hindus that move to England quickly develop B12 deficiency symptoms. This is the case even if they continue to follow their Indian diet.
Why?
This is because, in India, the plant foods consumed by vegans include many insects and insect larvae via unprocessed grains.
In England, insects and their residues are completely removed from plant foods before they are consumed. This occurs due to more modern processing methods. This removes the tiny and yet plentiful animal foods serving to preserve the Hindu vegans’ health in their traditional homeland.
Can B12 Supplements Fill the Gap?
It is always best to seek critical nutrients like B12 from food. However, if absorption is not optimal due to digestive issues or restrictive food philosophy, supplementation can become necessary.
The best whole food supplement for B12 is desiccated liver tested to be glyphosate free.
For extremely low B12 status, this is an excellent brand to raise levels rapidly.
The pathways for the uptake of this critical nutrient are very complicated. In addition, common physical issues such as reduced stomach acid, compromised protein digestion, lack of pancreatic enzymes, and autoimmune disorders can cause disruption in the absorption process.
Preventatively, the best approach is plentiful servings of foods rich in B12. This liver and bacon pate recipe is a delicious way to get this sometimes difficult food into your family. This single dietary tweak can easily avoid this common nutrient deficiency by maintaining optimal levels for maximum vitality.
References
(1) Myths of Vegetarianism
(2) Vegetarian Myths
(3) Vitamin B12 Food Sources
(4) Vitamin B12 from Algae Appears Not to be Bioavailable
(5) Vitamin B12: Plant Sources, Requirements, and Assay
(6) B12 Deficiency
This is rubbish and pure properganda I have been vegan for over a year and know many vegans who have been vegan for many years some were raised as vegan children all much more pedantic than I about their intake. This was one of my first questions as I transitioned from vegetarian, where do I get my B12? Most vegans respond with its not something I think about, they get annual tests and no one in my circles have had anything to worry about. They make sure they have variation in their diet but deficiency is a cross that bridge when we come to it and they haven’t seen a bridge yet.
Logically. I would like to know how animals, which pocess the only bioavaliable B12, and yet cannot create B12 on thier own, came to be?
Also, how is it that insects as small as they are sustain B12 levels that are healthy? Around the 500 range? How many insects would have to be consumed, daily, and what extremes of living conditons allow for such a high intake of masked insect eating?
Where do the insects get their B12 and are they too animals then since they have B12?
Why is the consumption of meats so highly reccommended if an insect has enough?
Hey Samantha,
In reply to Ur inquiry, for Ur awareness so U can make informed decisions…
The animals can’t and don’t produce the vitamin, and nor do they consume it. They consume precursors like cobalt, and then bacteria in their guts produce the vitamin – and then one of two things happen… either the vitamin is excreted in feces and the animal eats the feces since the vitamin is produced in an area of the gut after where the vitamin can’t be absorbed (a number of rodents such a guinea pigs do this, as do rabbits and relatives, koalas [during weaning the baby koala can only eat mom’s poo or it’s diet will kill it through poisoning, actually], and others), or the animal is a ruminant or has a similar highly specialized digestive tract and the areas where the vitamin are produced in the gut do absorb it (cud is nearly a poo or about to be nearly a poo in some respects, and is or is about to be the same as poo in all the important respects with regard to vitamin B12 in this case).
Plants with B12 have B12 that we can not use – that is, it is not bioavailable, or they have B12 precursors which we can not use to the effect needed, and these are bad, because they can compete with any actually usable B12 for absorption. Plants found with bioavailable B12 are inconsistent in this result, and due to this it is presumed that bacteria growing on or around the sea weed or plant is actually the source of the B12, and bacteria blooms can be very unpredictable, and can be really unsafe.
For people living vegan or vegetarian diets, their only sources of B12 are supplementation, hidden animals in their food (such as unrecognized bugs in produce), and from less effective sanitation methods leading to poo being consumed unintentionally from things such as food handling with dirty hands or living surrounded by poo or having poo fertilizer left on plants before consumption (hopefully cooked). These are the only sources of B12 available to vegans [vegan experts including vegan nutritionists and dietary professionals are saying this much as well]… if a culture is surviving without animal products, chances are that the conditions are very unsanitary and bugs and/or feces is unknowingly in the diet.
The only natural vegan sources of B12 is wildlife poo [gathered up like wild mushrooms – which is not sanitary nor advocated], and if your an animal of a species lucky enough to have a specialized gut then the bacteria in the gut. The only other vegan option is supplements made from bacteria. There’s also one other possible option – I’ve been trying to find a way to grow the bacteria, and so far, all I’ve found is that it’s used to make a cheese. Presumably it can be cultured like spirulina? Or like cheese in soy or some other plant medium? If anyone has that information, that would be great.
Sources is just doing a lot of research. What’s I’ve said came up over and over again from what see to be reputable sources or sources listing what seem to be reputable sources (I won’t dignify them with more than seems since I’m neither a scientist nor a scholar).
Moving on to more than replying 🙂 , I am not vegan, but I’m looking to cut back on meat and do not believe in supplementation that I can not make at home (to avoid such awkwardnesses as discovering a fair few western soybean products are soaked in hexanes or some sort of toxic chemical… years after consuming them, which i consider to be neither green nor healthy, no matter what limits are listed as safe) and Ive come to the solution of a compost pile that would be made of all sorts of inedible parts of edible plants and is then pasteurized at home and then fed to spirulina as it’s culture/fertilizer… and so the spirulina would be used as a natural supplement for omega3s along with all sorts of vitamins and minerals… but it’s short in vitamin B12… and so B12 is holding me back from reducing meat without commercial supplementation. [Note that spirulina grown at home is not actually spirulina and is also not an actual plant algae which are generally toxic but is actually a bacterial algae – it’s a bacteria] I’d like to be able to culture this other B12 producing bacteria, it’d really be a boon. Anyone have ideas or information to make this culturing of the bacteria a possibility? 😀 The bacteria options seems to be Propionibacterium freudenreichii (emmental cheese bacteria, & is used commercially for B12 production), Pseudomonas denitrificans (is used commercially for B12 production), and maaaaybe Streptomyces griseus (*was* used commercially for B12 production).
[Also, Im only researching currently, Im not in a position to be doing these culturings, yet. But working on that part.] So, if anyone has any helpful info or ideas or anything else helpful, that could nurture or guide these endeavors for several of us Id really appreciate it, and please and thank u in advance if anyone can contribute anything ^-^ !
To Thehealthyeconomist: The vegan b12 claim that soil was once healthy, and now due to farming practices the bacteria within the soil is not there for us is completely and utterly ridiculous. Here’s a very interesting study on this exact claim, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16528394 – If you notice, the conclusion was made that liver stores did not raise, but serum values did. This is EXACTLY what is seen when the source is an analogue, and not TRUE B12 such as spirulina, or chlorella. B12 analogues will falsely elevated serum b12 values. This once again proves, even “healthy soil” is not a TRUE source of bio-available b12, but only an analogue ( which have been shown to actually inhibit true b12 ). In regards once again to the study. there goats were fed high amounts of soil, but had no rise in liver stores yet vegans think some dirty vegetables from healthy soil will give them b12, FALSE.
Sea vegetables, and veggies from healthy soil ARE NOT a source of true b12, THEY”RE analogues. Lastly, even if the soil contained TRUE b12, the levels within are so minimal that it wouldn’t even matter. Not only that, but it’s very wishful thinking that the veggies you plant will hopefully be in an area of soil where the cobalt is high enough to create any b12 at all, but it doesn’t matter either way. In vegan land, healthy soil equals almost non measurable amounts of b12 analogues, but in the animal world a 3oz serving of grass fed liver equals over 2 THOUSAND % of the DRA.
Great article! I was just researching best food forms of adenosylocobalamin, one of the ONLY 2 “active” forms of B12 as I do not tolerate (horrible side effects) the high quality methylcobalamin B12 my doctor prescribed…even in tiny doses.. I will be eating liver often (from cows on organic pasture) as it’s a great source of adenosylocobalamin B12 ! The bacterial B12, hydroxocobalamin, I feel (after research) is of questionable benefit for me and likely the same for many people. The bacteria produce this B12 for their own benefit. It is possible for us to convert the leftover (assuming you have great gut bacteria that produce enough to have extra) …but there are issues that can block this conversion completely such as low glutathione….just one example. By the way….high or adequate levels of B12 in the blood does not mean so much…does not mean that it’s crossing into the cells or crossing the blood brain barrier where it is essential for health. People like me (MTHFR gene varient…quite common) often have high blood levels when tested…because it doesn’t go beyond the blood to where it’s needed.
Most of the vitamin B12 in foods of animal origin is there because it was added, as a supplement, to the animal’s food. This is the case for almost all birds (chicken…) and pigs. Ruminants (cattle, sheep) produce their B12 in their stomachs through bacterial fermentation, but cobalt is a necessary ingredient for the process; so they are often given cobalt supplements. And also, quite often, directly vitamin B12 shots.
Animals are in no way a “source” of vitamin B12. Only bacteria are. The animals people eat are only a different form of packaging for the same vitamin B12 that any vegan can (and should) get over the counter.
It is absurd to insist that we should eat meat and other animal products to get our vitamin B12.
David
It only reserve buy vitamin b12 Orthomol
I mean, fermented foods, milk and curds have a healthy dose of b12 which are eaten everyday which have helped vegetarians all over. I believe, even if u r a vegan, unless the b12 levels dropped because of improper diet, there are options to retain the levels.
Btw, I haven’t sent the above post without knowing my present levels ( if some think I have fallen for a myth.) I sure was low on b12 a year ago due to poor absorption after by a life threatening post delivery complication but I rebounded to good health.Hence, I believe in what I say, as it showed in my tests.
Hope the info helps.
I live in India and I wash my veggies well. If I didn’t, I’d have got diarrhoea instead of vit b12.
I wish our farms didn’t use pesticides, unfortunately, they do.. In large amounts. So, the bugs are dead. We wash the vegetables to try to wash off the pesticides.
Here are some facts.
1. Not all Hindus are not vegetarians.Brahmins are.
2. Brahmins are vegetarians, not vegans.. Being vegan is more by choice. There are hardly any Brahmins who do not eat dairy. Milk, ghee and curds are eaten daily, in good quantities, with each meal.
3. You do not call yourself a vegetarian if your diet includes fish and meat. Infact, we have a code-word called ‘pure vegetarian’ for those who avoid cakes too, if they have eggs in them. 🙂
No one else would be able to put the facts about being a vegetarian better because I was born in a family of vegetarians (read Brahmin) and have chosen to remain so for life.
My family and relatives have great b-12 levels being vegetarians all their life because it never went lower than normal in the first place. Living abroad didn’t change our b 12 requirements(as one of ur posts said). Pls post only if you know the facts right.
The facts that might have helped,
most of Indian morning Breakfasts are fermented food ( idly, dosa etc)
Milk is taken twice a day by kids and curds ( curds is not the same as european yoghurt) is taken at least at night. This helps to retain the b12 levels as required. Having said that, due the the fad foods, lack of time for a healthy Indian vegetarian breakfast and late working hours which amounts to working dinners( move away working lunches ;)), b12 deficiency has become so common among vegetarians and vegans.
Heya i am initially below. I ran across this specific aboard and i also still find it genuinely valuable & this reduced the problem out and about much. I hope to make available one important thing again plus guide other individuals such as you helped me.