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How does one respond to this....?


Lovegenius
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I need facts people!

 

"Incidentally, if you have been a vegan for an extended period of time, a simple B-12 supplement may not be enough. If you eat no animal foods, you lack the co-factors necessary for B-12 assimilation.

 

And I assure you, my vitamin A levels (and eyesight) are just fine. I take cod liver oil every day -- which is a much better and more easily assimilated source of vitamin A. Carrots do not contain vitamin A, they contain beta carotene, which is only a vitamin A precursor and requires conversion in the liver. True vitamin A (like B-12) is found in animal foods only."

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I need facts people!

 

"Incidentally, if you have been a vegan for an extended period of time, a simple B-12 supplement may not be enough. If you eat no animal foods, you lack the co-factors necessary for B-12 assimilation.

 

And I assure you, my vitamin A levels (and eyesight) are just fine. I take cod liver oil every day -- which is a much better and more easily assimilated source of vitamin A. Carrots do not contain vitamin A, they contain beta carotene, which is only a vitamin A precursor and requires conversion in the liver. True vitamin A (like B-12) is found in animal foods only."

 

The first sounds like total bunk to me! (where is this info from?) Most people with vitamin B12 deficiencies lack the cofactor and need to take shots, BUT they are not veg*ns!

 

As for vitamin A. It's true that actual vitamin A only comes in animal foods, BUT it's also true that one can ingest too much vitamin A. If you take carotenoids (from food sources, not from isolation supplements) your body does have to convert them into vitamin A, but our bodies are very efficient at the conversion...WHEN IT IS NEEDED. More and more health experts nowdays recommend NOT taking supplemental vitamin A because of the risk of overdosing. (It is a fat-soluble vitamin, so any excess remains in your body. Not like vitamin C, for example, where the excess flushes out.) Also, betacarotenes (from food sources) are linked with a decreased risk of certain cancers, while vitamin A is not.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Maybe I'm reading it wrong, but this post is confusing. B12 and vitamin A are completely different nutrients with different sources and functions...

Anyway:

Preformed (animal) vit A is not essetial in the diet. It is true that beta carotene is converted to active vit A (retinal, retinol, and retinoic acid) at an efficency rate of 1/6. However, beta carotene is abundant in foods, and most people who eat their vegetables will eat enough to meet their vitamin A needs.

HOWEVER, vitamin A toxicity is entirely possible through supplementation. Off the top of my head, I believe the UL (upper level considered safe daily) for preformed vit A is 10,000 IU....some supplements contain this, and regular consumption can be dangerous. It is essentially impossible to OD on beta carotene.

 

B12 is necessary for neural function. It's a component in the myelin sheaths that coat nerves, and allow for electrical impulse conduction. A deficiency will lead to neurological symptoms. However, it is needed only in incredibly small amounts, and the body is able to reuse it through enterohepatic circulation for many years. If you became vegan as an adult, it is highly unlikely you will ever need to supplement. Only those who are vegan from birth are at higher risk for deficiency, because they lack stores.

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  • 3 months later...

This is how I would respond.

 

"The most accurate test that all vegans should test for to show signs of B-12 deficiency is called a MMA or Methylmalonic Acid test. It is the chemical that the cells secrete when they do not have enough B-12. Just merely testing the blood for B-12 levels is worthless because it does not tell you if the individual is absorbing the B-12 it just shows how much is floating around in you. It would not be bad in conjunction with a MMA but by itself a standard B-12 is worthless. All vegans need to be aware of B-12 deficiency. T.C. Fry, a famous raw foodist, died of B-12 deficiency.

 

http://www.rawfoodsnewsmagazine.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=13

It depends on individual biodiversity, including metabolism and digestive function. However, anyone who prescribes a 100 percent raw vegan diet without Vitamin B-12 supplementation is irresponsible because the majority of people in the long run (over period of 10 to 20 years) will develop a B-12 deficiency. Which can manifest as heart disease. Some famous vegans--like T.C. Fry, a popular promoter of a raw vegan diet--have died of severe B-12 deficiency. I saw his blood test results near his death.

 

B-12 deficiency disease can cause little or no symptoms until irreversible damage occurs, but very often the neurologic difficulties are reversible. I have seen vegan patients who could no longer walk unassisted, gain back their ability to walk, after treatment with B-12. The proper blood test to ascertain whether you have B-12 deficiency or not is an MMA (methlymalonic acid).It depends on individual biodiversity, including metabolism and digestive function. However, anyone who prescribes a 100 percent raw vegan diet without Vitamin B-12 supplementation is irresponsible because the majority of people in the long run (over period of 10 to 20 years) will develop a B-12 deficiency. Which can manifest as heart disease. Some famous vegans--like T.C. Fry, a popular promoter of a raw vegan diet--have died of severe B-12 deficiency. I saw his blood test results near his death.

 

If you are B-12 deficient then you can take a oral sublingual B-12 supplement and bring your levels back up just fin. There is no need for B-12 shots.

 

Vitamin A is flat out dangerous when consumed in the form of Cod Liver Oil and isolated supplements. We get all the Vitamin A we need from plant foods. If you want stomach cancer then go ahead and add some supplemented Vitamin A to your diet. There is no need to consume added Vitamin A to a healthy plant based diet."

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