Vitamin what?
Eric O’Grey used to know next to nothing about vitamin B12. Heck, he used to know next to nothing about vitamin anything, admits the inspirational speaker and author in Boise, Idaho. But after learning bariatric surgery might be the only option to save his life — O’Grey weighed 340 pounds — he switched from a “standard American diet” heavy in meat and processed foods to a vegan diet in 2010. That meant learning about vitamin B12, which is found almost entirely in animal products. “As my new doctor explained, B12 is an essential vitamin for brain and nervous system health,” O’Grey says. Here’s what else all plant-based eaters should know about the nutrient:
Vitamin B12 101
B12 is key for brain and nervous system health because “it helps maintain healthy nerve and red blood cells, and it also helps make DNA and RNA” — molecules inside our cells that carry genetic information — explains Sherry Kelishadi, a pharmacist and vice president at NutraGlow, which sells vitamin B12 and other supplements. In other words: “B12 doesn’t just make us feel better; it helps our body to produce crucial elements of existence,” Kelishadi says. According to the National Institutes of Health, most adults need 2.4 micrograms of vitamin B12 a day, and more with age. (One large whole egg, which is considered a good source of the vitamin, contains less than 0.5 micrograms.)
Symptoms of deficiency
Shortness of breath, diarrhea, nervousness, numbness, a tingling sensation in the fingers and toes, weakness, fatigue, depression, mood disturbances, irritability, difficulty focusing, even trouble balancing — all can signal a vitamin B12 deficiency. But all can signal other problems, too, points out Vandana Sheth, a registered dietitian in Los Angeles and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, so ask your doctor to check your B12 levels with a blood test instead of self-diagnosing. Keep in mind you don’t have to be a vegetarian or vegan to be at risk. Even meat-eaters can be deficient, particularly if other habits like heavy drinking, medications like acid-blocking drugs or age inhibit absorption, experts say.
Animal foods high in vitamin B12
If you want the biggest B12 bang for your buck, load up on beef liver and clams, which have more B12 than any other foods. Just three ounces of either contains more than 1,000 percent of the daily recommended intake. (Overdosing on B12 is unlikely, if not impossible, the National Institutes of Health reports.) Other cuts of red meat are high in the vitamin, too. An 80 percent lean beef patty, for instance, provides about 40 percent of your daily need for B12. But excess red meat comes with its own health risks. For those who prefer to avoid or limit eating meat, vitamin B-rich foods such as salmon, milk, eggs and cottage cheese are also good options.
Vegan-friendly foods high in vitamin B12
If, like O’Grey, you don’t eat animal products at all, a vegan diet can be a healthy eating pattern for many people (and is environmentally friendly, too). But since plant foods don’t naturally contain vitamin B12, look for fortified options in nut milks, breakfast cereals and faux meats. Some brands of nutritional yeast, too, deliver 40 percent of your recommended daily intake with just one tablespoon and can be used the same way you’d use Parmesan cheese, O’Grey finds. “I sprinkle it in many foods I eat when I want a cheese flavor, especially in soups and Italian dishes,” he says.
When to supplement
The National Institutes of Health estimates that 1.5 to 15 percent of U.S. adults are coming up short on vitamin B12. “Vegans especially must be careful about including appropriate food choices that are fortified with B12 or consider a B12 supplement daily,” Sheth says. To figure out which route is best for you, ask your doctor for a blood test. For O’Grey, who learned he was vitamin B12 deficient even before going vegan and received an injection of the vitamin from his doctor, “I felt an immediate increase in energy, with an accompanying improvement in mood and mental clarity.” While he gets all other nutrients from his whole foods diet, he continues to take a B12 supplement a few times a week.
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What All Plant-Based Eaters Need to Know About Vitamin B12 originally appeared on usnews.com
