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Hello,

 

I'd like to know if there is a post talking about B12 here and if not I'd like to ask some questions about it.

My husband and I are still eating fish and organic eggs because I'am afraid of b12 deficiency.

I'm also giving eggs and fish to my son about 3 to 4 times a week (sometimes everyday) and he eats goat yogurt and drinks goat milk everyday. (he's 18 months old)

I think that for his part, he gets enough b12, also sometimes I wake up in the night in fear of not giving him enough, because around me, people are feeding their children with meat twice a day.

Because he's thin people tend to think it's because I only give him fish and eggs and that he needs red meat or poultry.

 

 

Do you take b12 supplements ? What do you think about B12 and what do you do about it ? Also if people on this forum have children have you raised them with or without meat (fish or else) ?

 

Thank you

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When people started becoming more aware that everything has protein, the meat, dairy, and egg industry started the B12 scare. It really is a myth. Most studies show no higher rates of deficiency in vegans than in meat eaters. The problem is that too many doctors and scientists use the word deficiency inappropriately. Deficiency means that someone has developed symptoms due to a lack of a nutrient. It does NOT mean a lower level. The issue is that because the "normal" range for blood values is based on an average of the population, it means that the "normal" range is based on an overweight, unhealthy meat eater. Therefore, we don't really know what the normal range for a healthy individual should be.

 

"Vitamin B12 deficiency or hypocobalaminemia typically features a low blood level of vitamin B12 however functional B12 deficiency can occur at any serum level;[1] with or without anaemia and/or macrocytosis."

 

"The results of the Framingham Offspring Study indicate that B12 deficiency may be more common than was previously believed. Deficiency is most significantly linked to improper absorption rather than low consumption, as many who consume high amounts of B12 may still experience deficiency."

 

Absorption is a greater issue than consumption. It is often claimed that humans get most of their B12 from diet which is entirely untrue. We actually get plenty from our gut bacteria as long as we have no absorption problem. If this wasn't true, then anti-biotics should have zero effect on our B12 levels, but they do. This is because the anti-biotics kill the flora in our stomachs which create B12.

 

"long-term use of antibiotics can lower vitamin B levels in the body, particularly B2, B9, B12, and vitamin H (biotin), which is considered part of the B complex vitamins."

Source: Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) | University of Maryland Medical Center http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/vitamin-b12-cobalamin#ixzz325PVpLKu

 

Most animal products contain high amounts of anti-biotics that do effect humans and their gut flora. They can also lower your natural immune system. With fish, you likely either have anti-biotics and growth hormones from fish farms, or mercury and possibly radiation from wild fish.

 

For the vast majority of people who develop a deficiency, a supplement will not help them because they still can't absorb it properly. The exception is properly used sublinguals can raise levels, but they usually require consistent use. The other option for these people is either B12 patches, or injections.

 

If you are very worried, get your family checked. But just remember this. Eating meat is the leading case of cancer and heart disease. You have a 1 in 3 chance of dying from either cancer or heart disease, and yet your chances of developing symptomatic B12 deficiency is so low that they don't even reference a number.

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Thank you for your replies.

 

Cappy: It is true that in all the b12 reports they make, the people having deficiencies were having malabsorption problems.

I think I'll take a supplement just in case. THe fish we eat is organic (I'm working in an organic shop)

 

stevieB160: Yes nutritional yeast, I love that and we have it practically everyday.

 

superman1234: This is probably what I'll do

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THe fish we eat is organic (I'm working in an organic shop)

 

Organic fish doesn't mean free of contaminants.

 

http://www.organicconsumers.org/Toxic/organic-salmon.cfm

 

And you have to ask yourself this. Why do you continue to eat a product that ends the life of a sentient being, is environmentally disastrous to produce, and provides you with no nutrient that can be better obtained from plants without the contaminants, cholesterol, and fat?

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Hey guys, I 'm feeling some symthoms that may or may not be connected to B12 deficency. I wat nutritional yeast with B12 ocasionally and I'm not a complete vegan - I eat butter and rarely some cheese or yoghurt. I'm thinking of getting a B12 spray - can you recommend a brand that is sold on ebay? I was also thinking about magnesium - which is the best way to get magnesium, as I've heard capsules are not very effective.

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