Vitamin B12 is not made by plants or animals, but by microbes that cover the earth. Presumably we used to get B12 when we drank from a mountain stream or drank water from a well. based on studies Vegetarians in developing countries who drink purified water appear to be at increased risk. Now, we typically chlorinate our water supply to kill any bacteria. So most of us don’t get much B12 in the water anymore, but we don’t get much cholera either. That’s a benefit of living in a much more sanitary world. However, vegetarians living in slums in less developed regions seem to have fewer vitamin B12 problems. Basically, The more hygienic our meals are, the less B12 we get. Our fellow great apes, like gorillas, get all the B12 they need by eating their own feces. I prefer supplements. So how much should we consume, what type is best, and how can we know if we have a B12 deficiency?
The benefits of vitamin B12
Us I can’t waste my time getting vitamin B12.. If we don’t get enough, we can face a wide range of disorders of the gut, blood, brain and nervous system.
Many case reports detail ways B12 can change lives. For example, a 47 year old woman He had a five-year history of psychosis. She had been treated with antipsychotic drugs and suffered cognitive impairment and reported visual hallucinations. After her mother revealed that the patient had followed a strict vegan diet for seven years, she was started on vitamin B12 supplementation and her symptoms disappeared. She had wasted years of her life in a psychotic haze, apparently just because she didn’t want to take a supplement.
Vitamin B12 supplementation is mandatory for anyone following a plant-based diet and, as I will explain later, for all of us aged 65 and older.
Vitamin B12 deficiency: symptoms and treatment
As I analyze it in my video. Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency, can cause everything from bloating and chronic diarrhea to difficulty breathing and swollen, red, painful feet. It can also cause Parkinson’s syndrome-like symptoms, darkening of the skin (which resolved with supplementation), and bilateral useless hand syndrome, a condition I had never heard of before.
B12 deficiency can also manifest itself in a variety of neurological symptoms(for example, numbness and tingling in the hands and feet, muscle cramps, dizziness, cognitive disturbances, difficulty walking, and erectile dysfunction), as well as fatigue and psychiatric symptoms such as depression along with psychosis.
How can B12 deficiency be treated? Either with B12 supplements or with foods fortified with B12.
Suggested dosage of vitamin B12
The official position of associations and government agencies is categorical and unequivocal: vitamin B12 supplementation is mandatory for anyone following a vegetarian diet.even when consuming eggs and dairy—And I would expand that to include flexitarians who eat only a few servings of meat a week.
Who else should guarantee Do you have a regular, reliable source of vitamin B12 by supplementing your diet with B12 supplements or B12-fortified foods? Those who have had bariatric surgery (which can sometimes affect absorption), those following plant-based diets, and everyone over 65 years of age.
As I analyze it in my video. The optimal dose of vitamin B12 for adultsadults under 65 years of age must take at least a 2000 mcg (μg) supplement once a week, ideally as a chewable, sublingual, or liquid supplement taken on an empty stomach, or at least a 50 mcg (μg) daily supplement. As we age, our ability to absorb vitamin B12 may decrease. So for people 65 and older, supplementation should probably be increased up to 1000 mcg (μg) per day, as I explain in my video. The optimal dose of vitamin B12 for children, pregnancies and the elderly.
Pregnant and breastfeeding women You can follow my recommendation of 50 mcg (μg) per day for non-pregnant adults or take 2,000 mcg (μg) per week, perhaps divided into two doses to increase absorption. Once weaned, babies can start on 5 mcg (μg) per day. From 4 to 10 years old, children can take half the adult dose of 25 mcg (μg) per day, then they can take 50 mcg (μg) per day or 2,000 mcg (μg) per week starting at age 11 years.
Please note that these doses are specific to cyanocobalamin, the preferred supplemental form of vitamin B12. (I discuss cyanocobalamin vs. methylcobalamin below.)
The best food sources of vitamin B12
If you need supplemental B12 but don’t want to take supplements, you should rely on B12-fortified foods: Eat three separate portions of B12-fortified foods per day, each ideally containing at least 190 percent of the “daily value” on the product’s Nutrition Facts label. As I analyze it in my video. The Healthiest Food Sources of Vitamin B12B12-fortified nutritional yeast is a common food source, and there are all kinds of other B12-fortified options on the market, including plant-based meats and milks, breakfast cereals, and even energy drinks.
The worst food sources of vitamin B12
What about various seaweed type products?, like spirulina, which are advertised as natural sources of vitamin B12? Not only do they not contain B12 that is usable for humans, but they may contain B12 analogues, lookalike molecules that can even block the absorption of real B12!
Can vitamin B12 cause side effects?
You don’t have to worry about taking too much vitamin B12. It is soluble in water. So, worst case scenario, you’ll end up with more expensive urine. However, injectable forms can cause acne.
Methylcobalamin vs Cyanocobalamin
There are two main types of vitamin B12: methylcobalamin, marketed as methyl B12, and cyanocobalamin, usually marketed only as vitamin B12. Methylcobalamin is more expensive so it must be better, right? Mistaken.
As I analyze it in my video. The best type of vitamin B12: cyanocobalamin or methylcobalamin, cyanocobalamin It is the most used form, thanks to its high stability. Methylcobalamin is less stable and particularly susceptible to destruction after exposure to light.
He an important exception However, it may be kidney failure. Methylcobalamin may be better for those with kidney failure. It has been speculated that oral methylcobalamin or injected hydroxycobalamin may also be preferable in smokers, although this has not yet been confirmed.
