Homocysteine and b-12

[offense74]

A really sad call came in to on of Joel Fuhrmans's radio show that I listened to the other day. You can listen to it here.

A guy called in that lived a really healthy life.

He was a long distance runner and the healthiest in his family. He eats a whole foods vegan diet and he is a long distance runner who worked out 6 days a week. He had a heart attack and are now on 5 meds.

You know what the first thing Joel asked him was?

What was you're homocysteine and b-12 levels at the time?

It turns out that his homocysteine was over 30. Normal is 10. Even better is below 10. He didn't take his b-12. He does now (and his homocysteine levels are back to normal) but the homocysteine has already wreaken havoc in his body and destroyed alot.

 

Homocysteine is as bad (if not worse) than high choloesterol. Researchers don't know if it's the homocysteine itself that is the problem or if it's just an indication of something else that is wrong, but either way it should be kept low. You keep it low by eating b-6, b-9 (folic acid) and b-12. If one of those are missing you will probably have a high homocysteine.

 

How do you feel an elevated homocysteine level? You feel nothing up to the stroke or the heart attack. Then you could end up with 5 meds to fix your body like the example above. I like everybody in here. Please don't play Russian roulette.

Edited December 8, 2006 by offense74

[Richard]

Woah, I need to make sure I am getting sources of B6, 9 and 12. Any good tips on foods?

[offense74]

Woah, I need to make sure I am getting sources of B6, 9 and 12. Any good tips on foods?

Meat! Just kidding

 

b-6(from wiki): Vitamin B6 is prevalent in both animal and vegetable food sources. Liver, chicken, fish, green beans, field salad, wheat germ, nutritional yeast, sea vegetables and bananas are particularly good food sources.

 

b-9 (folate):Leaf vegetables such as spinach and turnip greens, dried beans and peas, fortified cereal products, sunflower seeds and some other fruits and vegetables are rich sources of folate.

 

b-12: Animmal stuff, pills, and fortified foods. There are none in any plant that has been discovered so far. You can also eat poop (your own is fine) or dirt. It's made by bacteria.

Edit: Found this on wikipedia, never heard of it before:

"The only known vegan sources of substantial B12, aside from multivitamin supplements and fortified foods, are the Chinese herb Dang Gui (Angelica sinensis) [13], used for centuries for treating anemia, and certain brands of fortified nutritional yeast.[citation needed]"

But before they've done more in-depth research on this herb I will keep poppin' pills.

 

All of these vitamins are water soluble so it's merely impossible to overdose. b-12 is practically free so I take a pill with a large dose a few times per week.

[Richard]

Ah thanks for the information. I feel better now!

[offense74]

Ah thanks for the information. I feel better now!

Awesome

[Richard]

I used to take b12, but I stopped for some reason. I should really start taking it again :s

 

I checked and I am getting b6 and b9 from my current diet so that's cool. I will chizzeck the healthfood store for b12.

[Kathryn]

I used to take b12, but I stopped for some reason. I should really start taking it again :s

 

You may be getting B12 if you drink enriched soy or rice milk, or eat any meat analogs, or eat enriched cereals, or take Vega, or eat Red Star nutritional yeast (all of which are supplemented with B12).

 

For a B12 supplement, I prefer methylcobalamin (most B12 is cyanacobalamin, which has to be broken down in the body into methycobalamin and other things). I've used methylcobalamin on a diabetic cat with neuropathy (nerve damage to the feet...supposedly irreversible, according to my vet) and it reversed it somewhat.

www.veganessentials.com has a methylcobalamin spray that is easy to take.

[Michelle]

You can also eat poop (your own is fine) or dirt. It's made by bacteria.

 

Oh, gross. I think I'll stick with supplements.

[Kathryn]

I wouldn't recommend eating poop. Aside from being gross, poop contains ecoli (which is naturally present in the colon in small quantities, and is okay as long as it stays there!)

 

Also, the Wikipedia entry is kind of strange, since nutritional yeast IS a fortified food (it doesn't naturally contain B12, just what is added to it).

[offense74]

I wouldn't recommend eating poop. Aside from being gross, poop contains ecoli (which is naturally present in the colon in small quantities, and is okay as long as it stays there!)

I didn't put iin a disclaimer in my message because I didn't believe anyone would actually consider it .

So, here it goes: Don't eat poop.

[Kathryn]

I didn't put iin a disclaimer in my message because I didn't believe anyone would actually consider it .

 

You never know! Better safe than sorry (who knows who is reading this!)

[andgbr]

Woah, I need to make sure I am getting sources of B6, 9 and 12. Any good tips on foods?

Meat! Just kidding

 

b-6(from wiki): Vitamin B6 is prevalent in both animal and vegetable food sources. Liver, chicken, fish, green beans, field salad, wheat germ, nutritional yeast, sea vegetables and bananas are particularly good food sources.

 

b-9 (folate):Leaf vegetables such as spinach and turnip greens, dried beans and peas, fortified cereal products, sunflower seeds and some other fruits and vegetables are rich sources of folate.

 

b-12: Animmal stuff, pills, and fortified foods. There are none in any plant that has been discovered so far. You can also eat poop (your own is fine) or dirt. It's made by bacteria.

Edit: Found this on wikipedia, never heard of it before:

"The only known vegan sources of substantial B12, aside from multivitamin supplements and fortified foods, are the Chinese herb Dang Gui (Angelica sinensis) [13], used for centuries for treating anemia, and certain brands of fortified nutritional yeast.[citation needed]"

But before they've done more in-depth research on this herb I will keep poppin' pills.

 

All of these vitamins are water soluble so it's merely impossible to overdose. b-12 is practically free so I take a pill with a large dose a few times per week.

 

 

i don't think B12 is water soluble, if it was our body wouldn't store B12 for years like it usually does.. i think it's fat soluble.. anyways.. i'm just saying..

[Jay]

I'd suggest though that it's preferable to take a liquid B-12 supplement as opposed to a pill. Some people don't absorb the pill so well.

 

Also I'd suggest having your blood drawn to see what your B-12 levels are at. Mine was a little low when my only B-12 source for a couple months was fortified rice milk. And I was drinking rice milk everyday but probably only 50 to 75% of the RDA.

[offense74]

Woah, I need to make sure I am getting sources of B6, 9 and 12. Any good tips on foods?

Meat! Just kidding

 

b-6(from wiki): Vitamin B6 is prevalent in both animal and vegetable food sources. Liver, chicken, fish, green beans, field salad, wheat germ, nutritional yeast, sea vegetables and bananas are particularly good food sources.

 

b-9 (folate):Leaf vegetables such as spinach and turnip greens, dried beans and peas, fortified cereal products, sunflower seeds and some other fruits and vegetables are rich sources of folate.

 

b-12: Animmal stuff, pills, and fortified foods. There are none in any plant that has been discovered so far. You can also eat poop (your own is fine) or dirt. It's made by bacteria.

Edit: Found this on wikipedia, never heard of it before:

"The only known vegan sources of substantial B12, aside from multivitamin supplements and fortified foods, are the Chinese herb Dang Gui (Angelica sinensis) [13], used for centuries for treating anemia, and certain brands of fortified nutritional yeast.[citation needed]"

But before they've done more in-depth research on this herb I will keep poppin' pills.

 

All of these vitamins are water soluble so it's merely impossible to overdose. b-12 is practically free so I take a pill with a large dose a few times per week.

 

 

i don't think B12 is water soluble, if it was our body wouldn't store B12 for years like it usually does.. i think it's fat soluble.. anyways.. i'm just saying..

Actually, b-12 is the only water soluble vitamin that gets stored in the body

[offense74]

I'd suggest though that it's preferable to take a liquid B-12 supplement as opposed to a pill. Some people don't absorb the pill so well.

 

Also I'd suggest having your blood drawn to see what your B-12 levels are at. Mine was a little low when my only B-12 source for a couple months was fortified rice milk. And I was drinking rice milk everyday but probably only 50 to 75% of the RDA.

I would but it's a matter of supply here in Sweden. When it comes to b-12, pills and fortified stuff is my only option. We don't have vitamin D without the A or calcium. I can't find one multi without iron. I order DHA from the UK.

When I go to a "health store" I always look for better solutions then my current one but all I find is libido enhancers, strange herbs and some fake meats. They don't have vitamin D even though practically every Swede is deficient in it.

The state owned drug store (they still have monopoly on most things) told me that they didn't carry it and that it wasn't their obligation to take it in.

I'm not too good in German otherwise I've found some promising stuff there. If I order from the UK the shipping costs are almost worse than from the US. US prices are cheaper than the UK but then I risk that it gets stuck in customs and I have to pay extra.

[Odidnetne]

Also I'd suggest having your blood drawn to see what your B-12 levels are at. Mine was a little low when my only B-12 source for a couple months was fortified rice milk. And I was drinking rice milk everyday but probably only 50 to 75% of the RDA.

 

I was thinking about getting my blood checked, even though I get plenty from a lot of sources.