Guest guest Posted August 6, 2000 Report Share Posted August 6, 2000 I agree about what you are saying about B12 on the theoretical level. In reality though, I understand it is fairly common for people to have some degree of difficulty absorbing B12. In these cases, taking large doses (500 to 1000mcg per day) is necessary to ensure that the small amount we need is actually absorbed. I was reminded just this week of how common, and unexpected, it can be to have such a condition. A young and healthy friend of mine who has been vegan two years, had his blood checked and found out that despite taking 150 mcg per week, he was showing metabolic deficiency. That is to say, his blood level was below normal, as well as his homocysteine elevated. He plans to raise his intake to 150 mcg per day to see if that will be enough and have his blood tested again in September. If it isn't, and the research seems to indicate that it may well not be, he will raise his dose to the 500 to 1000 mcg per day that have been reported in clinical trials to be sufficient in all cases. Deborah in BC, Canada I usually tell vegan wannabes that there are B12 pills, and a B12 pill is NOT ethically objectionable, and it does ensure that there will be more than adequate B12 in the system. I looked recently at a bottle of B12 pills that one COULD get from The Vitamin Source. I had calculated that one B12 pill had enough B12 to last a total vegan 1.5 to 5.5 years 50000% = 500 days 3000 micrograms/3 mcg/day = 1000 days 3000 micrograms/1.5 mcg/day = 2000 days (Many have recommended 1.5 mcg/day of B12, as has Dr. Victor Herbert, a world recognized B12 expert, but many recommend 3 mcg for safety) 2000 days/365 days/year = ~ 5.48 years ~ 5.479 365/2000.0000 1825 1750 1460 2900 2555 3450 3485 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 22, 2001 Report Share Posted June 22, 2001 The best, most in depth article on B12 is here: http://www.veganoutreach.org/health/b12.html Nutritional yeast & some sea vegetables are not reliable sources of B12. > (other vegan sources are nutritional yeast & some sea vegetables) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 23, 2001 Report Share Posted June 23, 2001 As far as I know, B12 doesn't come from the cow itself, but is produced by specific bacteria... Right! ....found in the animal's small intestine. It's absorbed in the small intestine, but it isn't produced there. Because the small intestine is where the stomach dumps it acidic contents, the small intestine is relatively sterile under normal conditions. I've heard experts saying that your body's B12 level depends not only on consuming B12 but consuming foods that stimulate B12 production by this bacteria. This is certainly true for cow's, who have to eat grass to fill their first stomachs, in which their B12 is made. With humans though, while we make it in our large intestine, there are no absorption sites there. I never thought of it this way, but what you said reminded me of the argument that people NEED cow's milk because it's the only viable source of calcium for humans, apparently calcium found in vegetables is really bad (because you need vit. C to be able to digest it; go figure),... That's true that we need vitamin C to absorb calcium. There is none in pasteurized cow's milk, whereas there is lots in fruits and vegetables. That is one reason why it is easier to absorb calcium from plant foods than cow's milk. This is one reason why people who eat animal products are at higher risk of osteoporosis than vegans. ....but where do cows get their calcium? Exactly! Obviously, they get it from grass. Grass is their natural food, and their body is well equipped to get what it needs from it. Same with us, as long as we eat our natural food. Nothing natural about humans consuming cow's milk! Anyway, there's still debate over how much B12 consumption is needed by humans, different dietetic associations have different guidelines. Belle Yes, that's true. I've seen recommendations from 1 up to 5 micrograms per day. Under normal circumstances, I doubt that it makes much difference. In any case, I think it is good for each of us to make our own decision to be pro-active about it for ourselves rather than waiting for agencies to make up their minds in their torturously slow and bureaucratic way. If we wait for them, and do nothing meanwhile, we might find ourselves having developed deficiency symptoms by then! Having a blood test is always the easiest way to settle the matter. However, I spent a few months reading research about this for a series of articles I wrote on this topic, and I found that testing has generally shown that vegans who do not supplement, tend to have either very low or below normal levels of serum B12. Because of the danger of developing irreversible consequences if one waits until symptoms actually show, I think it makes the most sense to go ahead and just take the supplement. In nature, we primates would be getting some on a fairly regular schedule from poop-eating and occassional flesh eating, so I think it makes sense to fill that gap with a supplement. Deborah _______________ ________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 7, 2002 Report Share Posted June 7, 2002 Hadass wrote: > > but I've yet to find one [multivitamin] that > my 3 y/o will take Would he eat gummi bears? There's a vegan multi gummi and another that's vegetarian. If you think that'd work, LMK and I'll send you the brand and website. ~Doh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 7, 2002 Report Share Posted June 7, 2002 My kids... 2 1/2yrs and 5 yrs old like a multi vitmin called Multi-Saurus. They often march them around and play with them first but they do eat them too. It is made by KAL They have a line of kids vitamins called Dinosaurs which includes multi-vites and well as some other formulas. I don't know if they are all vegan but the owner of my local HFS called up on this one and was told that it is vegan ( the Multi-saurus) --- Doh! <dohdriver wrote: > > Hadass wrote: > > > > but I've yet to find one [multivitamin] that > > my 3 y/o will take > > Would he eat gummi bears? There's a vegan multi > gummi and another that's > vegetarian. If you think that'd work, LMK and I'll > send you the brand and > website. > ~Doh > > > - Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup http://fifaworldcup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 10, 2002 Report Share Posted June 10, 2002 , Doh! <dohdriver> wrote: > > Hadass wrote: > > > > but I've yet to find one [multivitamin] that > > my 3 y/o will take > > Would he eat gummi bears? There's a vegan multi gummi and another that's > vegetarian. If you think that'd work, LMK and I'll send you the brand and > website. Thanks, but alas, no. I know because somebody gave him a gummi bear before I could prevent it, and he would have no part of it. I think mixing liquid or powdered stuff into his food is probably the best method until he starts taking chewables. But for now, he's still breastfeeding, and he eats cheese and yoghurt, so I'm not too worried. Be well, Hadass in Winnipeg. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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