Digest Number 1703

[Guest guest]

is anybody interested in a management job at a raw food restaraunt in east

lansing Michigan? if so please e-mail me back at soad288

[Guest guest]

grrrrr... now why aren't these kinds of jobs close to me...

 

jon kelly <soad288 wrote: is anybody interested in a management job

at a raw food restaraunt in east lansing Michigan? if so please e-mail me back

at soad288

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

> Posted by: " Doug Brown " dougfb zatopek6

> Thu Jul 27, 2006 12:34 pm (PST)

 

> As for B12 - Dr McDougall says that once you go Vegan you still have

> stores

of B12 in your body that will last at least 3 years, so dont need to start

taking it right away. Dr. McDougall is focusing on preventing neurological

problems (the main symptom of low B12). I did blood work after six months

being Vegan and my B12 was over 500, well within normal range. On the

other hand, Dr. Michael Greger MD (veganmd.org) recommends that even meat

eater should take b12! He says in our modern society even meat eaters dont

get enough to provide proper cardiovascular protection. However, even Dr.

Greger doesnt recommend as much as 500mcg daily. I think he recommends

that

much every other day. Check his website.

 

I'm reproducing this web page below to help clear up some of the confusion.

http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/vitaminb12.

 

Vitamin B12

 

Below is summary of what people on a plant-based diet should know about

vitamin B12. For more detailed information, see the following articles:

 

Vitamin B12: Are You Getting It? by Jack Norris, RD

http://www.veganhealth.org/b12/

 

What Every Vegan Should Know about Vitamin B12 by Health Professionals &

Vegan Organizations

http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/everyvegan/

 

There are a number of myths about vitamin B12. Some vegan advocates

emphasize that humans need only small amounts of B12 and that it can be

stored in the body for years. It is true that, at the time they become

vegan, some people have enough B12 stored in their liver to prevent overt

B12 deficiency for many years. However, people often misinterpret this to

mean that you only need to consume a tiny amount of B12 once every few

years. Actually, to build up such stores, it takes many years of consuming

B12 beyond one's daily needs. Many people do not have large enough stores of

B12 to be relied upon even for short periods. This is an easy problem to

solve by simply eating B12-fortified foods or taking a supplement.

 

There are no reliable, unfortified plant sources of vitamin B12 (see B12 in

Tempeh, Seaweeds, Organic Produce, and Other Plant Foods at

http://www.veganhealth.org/b12/plant for more information); therefore

fortified foods and/or supplements are necessary for the optimal health of

vegans and even vegetarians in many cases. Luckily, vitamin B12 is made by

bacterial fermentation such that no animal foods are necessary to provide

it.

 

There are two types of B12 deficiency: overt and mild.

 

Overt vitamin B12 deficiency:

 

B12 protects the nervous system. Without it, permanent damage can result

(e.g., blindness, deafness, dementia). Fatigue, and tingling in the hands or

feet, can be early signs of deficiency. B12 also keeps the digestive system

healthy and an overt deficiency can cause digestive problems.

 

Mild vitamin B12 deficiency:

 

By lowering homocysteine levels, B12 reduces the risk of heart disease,

stroke, and other diseases. Vegans and near-vegans who do not supplement

with vitamin B12 have consistently shown elevated homocysteine levels.

From 1999 to 2003, there were many studies comparing the homocysteine levels

of vegans and vegetarians who do not supplement their diet with vitamin B12

to those of non-vegetarians. In every study, the vegans or vegetarians had

higher homocysteine levels than the meat-eaters and in the range associated

with an increased risk of heart disease and stroke.

 

In contrast, one study compared vegans who supplemented their diets with

vitamin B12 (an average of 5.6 mcg/day) with non-vegetarians. Their

homocysteine levels were the same, and well within the healthy range.

Details can be read in the section Homocysteine, B12, Vegetarians, and

Disease of Vitamin B12: Are You Getting It?

If you have been a typical meat eater for most of your life, your body

should have stored enough B12 to prevent overt deficiency for a number of

years. However, when B12 intake is zero, old B12 stores cannot be relied on

to keep homocysteine levels in check.

 

Vitamin B12 Recommendations for Vegans and Near-Vegans

http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/b12/rec

 

Can a Natural Diet Require Supplements?

http://www.veganhealth.org/b12/natural