What is B12? How much do we need? Where From?
|
Below we will help to answer these questions for you, using both our own experience and resources and experiences from others.
We list some articles and websites and try to give you all the resources you need to make a personal decision. Nothing here is to be solely relied upon; please seek your own counsel and advice from your doctor. What is B12? |
|
B12 is reported to be an essential vitamin and one that has often been reported as only found in animal-based products.
Vitamin B12 does many things for your body. It helps make your DNA and your red blood cells, for example. Since your body doesn't make vitamin B12, you have to get it from other sources—we explore some options below.
Well, after being vegan for 4 years, I have never suffered a deficiency and have regular blood tests. As a father, I am also making sure my children are healthy and eating a well-balanced diet, including B12.
To stay informed, I research, read, and talk to others, including scientists and doctors.
There is quite a bit of controversy around B12. I am not sure if it is because people are so full of fear and B12 seems to get the fire. Maybe as a scapegoat? Or maybe it is all real?
So here is where I stood and started the research with an open heart and unfearful mind.
Firstly, search the internet and confirm as much as possible what the high B12 sources of food are.
Second, go to a doctor and check my and the children's current levels—we were all good.
Below I have created a list; please don't rely on it solely—it's a list I brought together from research. Though most research pointed to high and low levels of B12 in various foods consistently, the actual microgrammes per 100 grammes of food did vary.
Average Daily Intake Suggested
In Australia, Canada, and the US, the average daily intake for an adult is suggested to be around 2 micrograms and up to 1 microgram for a child. Pregnant women or new mothers who are lactating should consume slightly higher levels.
Let's get to the numbers and food options.
Vitamin B12 does many things for your body. It helps make your DNA and your red blood cells, for example. Since your body doesn't make vitamin B12, you have to get it from other sources—we explore some options below.
Well, after being vegan for 4 years, I have never suffered a deficiency and have regular blood tests. As a father, I am also making sure my children are healthy and eating a well-balanced diet, including B12.
To stay informed, I research, read, and talk to others, including scientists and doctors.
There is quite a bit of controversy around B12. I am not sure if it is because people are so full of fear and B12 seems to get the fire. Maybe as a scapegoat? Or maybe it is all real?
So here is where I stood and started the research with an open heart and unfearful mind.
Firstly, search the internet and confirm as much as possible what the high B12 sources of food are.
Second, go to a doctor and check my and the children's current levels—we were all good.
Below I have created a list; please don't rely on it solely—it's a list I brought together from research. Though most research pointed to high and low levels of B12 in various foods consistently, the actual microgrammes per 100 grammes of food did vary.
Average Daily Intake Suggested
In Australia, Canada, and the US, the average daily intake for an adult is suggested to be around 2 micrograms and up to 1 microgram for a child. Pregnant women or new mothers who are lactating should consume slightly higher levels.
Let's get to the numbers and food options.
|
Foods - Micrograms B12 per 100 grams food
Dried Green Seaweed Sheets 77.60 Dried Purple Laver - seaweed 63.60 Dried Green Laver -seaweed 63.60 Tempeh 8.00 Spinach leaves 0.14 Mushrooms Dried shitake 5.60 Golden chanterelle 2.65 Black trumpet 2.65 Porcini 0.09 Oyster 0.09 Black morel 0.09 *neither list is complete, merely a guide and starting point for you. |
Foods - Micrograms B12 per 100 grams food
Non Vegan (animal based) options Clams 100.12 Beef Liver 84.17 Mussels 24.29 Mackerel 19.17 Crab 11.67 Lean Beef 8.21 Turkey 0.95 Egg 0.89 Yoghurt 0.32 Skim Milk 0.26 |
The guide above provides a variety of options to meet your B12 needs. Our favourite is a regular sushi night.
If your taste buds are not agreeing with sushi, specifically nori, mushrooms, or even baby spinach, then an alternative source could be fortified foods with B12 added. Some plant-based milks, other drinks, cereals, grains, breads, etc., do contain high levels of B12. You could also go straight to a daily supplement B12 tablet.
It might be worth reading the Iron Myth , too. If you do have iron deficiency, vitamin C, whether natural or in supplement form, is a great way to get back to healthy levels fast. If you are considering B12 supplements, it is beneficial to also have vitamin C available, as it aids in the absorption of iron more effectively than usual.
Of course there is a host of products you can buy with B12 fortified into the food, from drinks and cereals to plant-based milks and dietary health supplements (tablets).
We always go for the most natural option, and luckily my little ones love dried green seaweed and spinach leaves.
In doing research, I found some advocating no B12 existed in non-plant-based sources, though I found that rather odd; maybe they are writing without the full information. I also found some advocating that B12 exists in nuts, like almonds and peanuts, and even cranberries. I found nothing of any worth to support this.
Thanks to those who assisted in this article; I hope it helps someone out there get a deeper understanding of B12 without getting too fearful or torn into the potential side effects. Just eat well, and keep measuring your levels, adjusting intake as needed. That may be the surest way to stay fit and healthy.
If your taste buds are not agreeing with sushi, specifically nori, mushrooms, or even baby spinach, then an alternative source could be fortified foods with B12 added. Some plant-based milks, other drinks, cereals, grains, breads, etc., do contain high levels of B12. You could also go straight to a daily supplement B12 tablet.
It might be worth reading the Iron Myth , too. If you do have iron deficiency, vitamin C, whether natural or in supplement form, is a great way to get back to healthy levels fast. If you are considering B12 supplements, it is beneficial to also have vitamin C available, as it aids in the absorption of iron more effectively than usual.
Of course there is a host of products you can buy with B12 fortified into the food, from drinks and cereals to plant-based milks and dietary health supplements (tablets).
We always go for the most natural option, and luckily my little ones love dried green seaweed and spinach leaves.
In doing research, I found some advocating no B12 existed in non-plant-based sources, though I found that rather odd; maybe they are writing without the full information. I also found some advocating that B12 exists in nuts, like almonds and peanuts, and even cranberries. I found nothing of any worth to support this.
Thanks to those who assisted in this article; I hope it helps someone out there get a deeper understanding of B12 without getting too fearful or torn into the potential side effects. Just eat well, and keep measuring your levels, adjusting intake as needed. That may be the surest way to stay fit and healthy.
Resources
https://veganhealth.org/what-every-vegan-should-know-about-vitamin-b12/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4042564/
https://www.dietitians.ca/Your-Health/Nutrition-A-Z/Vitamins/Food-Sources-of-Vitamin-B12.aspx
https://nuts.com/healthy-snacks/sources-of-vitamin-b12
Please feel free to let us know via social media if there are other resources that may help; we are always open to learning.
https://veganhealth.org/what-every-vegan-should-know-about-vitamin-b12/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4042564/
https://www.dietitians.ca/Your-Health/Nutrition-A-Z/Vitamins/Food-Sources-of-Vitamin-B12.aspx
https://nuts.com/healthy-snacks/sources-of-vitamin-b12
Please feel free to let us know via social media if there are other resources that may help; we are always open to learning.
