# Vitamin B12 Deficiency Scare..



## FreeSpirit777 (May 19, 2015)

So I've been on a vegan diet for five years now, and have been (or so I thought) very cautious and determined to eat healthy.. I've been only drinking water, eating lots of organic fruits/veggies daily, healthy grains like amaranth and flaxseed, lentils and beans, rice etc.. I also have been cooking everything and never eating anything I don't cook myself. 

Yesterday I realized that I wasn't getting all the nutrients my body needs, really mainly/only Vitamin B12 which I learned is very important for the body to function properly.. symptoms of deficiency are anemia, confusion, poor memory etc which I actually had been feeling all of those things for the past month at least, before I even knew I needed Vitamin B12. 

I grew up eating meat, fortified cereals so I was getting enough Vitamin B12 growing up all the way up until five years ago when I became vegan, and even more so two years ago when I slowly stopped eating fortified cereals in favor or organic/non-fortified cereals. The only B12 I was getting in these past two years was from Coconut Milk and Flax Milk, which I just began drinking Six months ago..

Today I went and bought a B12 supplement first thing this morning and already took one.

Should I be concerned for my health, will I be okay??


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## thirtyhertz (Nov 7, 2013)

you should be okay if you continue to take those supplements. get your blood tested every 3 months or something to see if you're taking them frequently enough.


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## Handsome Dyke (Oct 4, 2012)

I wouldn't be concerned if taking the supplement daily (and supplements in your area are generally trustworthy). I started having problems related to B12 and they quickly went away after I started taking a supplement.


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## Tad Cooper (Apr 10, 2010)

You should get blood tests once a year if you're vegan to ensure you're eating right! B12 deficiency syndrome can be really nasty and lead to long term issues:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_B12_deficiency

I have vegan friends in Canada and they're the ones who told me they always get tested at least once a year, just to be safe!


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## B3LIAL (Dec 21, 2013)

I can't help but feel annoyed at Vegans who get b12 deficient.

You can take -

b12 supplement
Fortified cereals
Fortified vegan milks
Fortified vegan deserts 

Among many more!!

It's such a common but easy to avoid deficiency.


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## cuddle bun (Jun 2, 2017)

Yes you should be very, very concerned. 

You are eating food.

Every single person on the planet who eats food will eventually die.

Unavoidable fact.

Be very concerned


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## JFernandes (Sep 9, 2021)

With a proper intake of vegan diet with an adequate amount of vitamin B12 sources (like vegan b12 supplements, plant milk vegan breakfast cereals and you can consider soy products) and other vegan multivitamins supplements, can fill up the lack of this nutrient in their bodies and also you no need to concern about your health


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## thisisme (Apr 11, 2010)

You'll be fine. I need to watch it too. I do use nutritional yeast tho on veggies. I mix it with a bit of plant milk and garlic powder and pour it on broccoli or potatoes. Has a kind of cheese sauce sort of taste. 
*
Vegan sources of B12*

Nutritional Yeast.
Fortified Plant Milk (soy, almond, coconut, rice)
Tempeh.
Fortified breakfast cereals.
Algae/seaweed.
Mushrooms.


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## Electra (Oct 24, 2014)

Don't forget to tale Iron as well. You can find Iron in spinage, but you should prepare it properly to reap the full nutricional benefits. If you eat it along with foid that contained vitamin C that helps to increase the Iron uptake. Generally real unprosessed food is healthier then pills if you can get hold of it. Getting things like fiber is also part of it. Fiber is good for your stomach.


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## JFernandes (Sep 9, 2021)

B12 deficiency is quite common among vegans. The deficiency of B12 can result in severe problems and start showing symptoms like depression, loss of appetite, weight loss, irritation..etc. It's true that B12 is mainly found in meat, but there are adequate amount of vitamin B12 sources for vegans. With a proper vegan diet and inlusion of plant milk, fortified cereals, soy products and adding vitamin B12 supplement to your diet, vegans are able to fill up the lack of B12 nutrient in their bodies. And about vegan B12 supplement intake, no need to worry at all, if you are properly taking it with your vegan diet, it doesn't harm your health.

If you have time, I would highly encourage you go through these resources:






What Every Vegan Should Know About Vitamin B12


The critical importance of vitamin B12.




www.vegansociety.com












Vitamin B Complex vs B12: Comprehensive Guide for Vegans - Vegans First


Vitamin B12 is one of the most essential nutrients our body needs to survive. Unlike many other vitamins that deal with one of two bodily functions, vitamin




vegansfirst.com












Vitamin B12 for Vegans & Vegetarians: Best Natural Sources | Fresh n' Lean


Struggling to find natural sources of vegan B12? Confused about which B12 supplement will best suit your needs? Look no further...



www.freshnlean.com









Vitamin B12 Sources & Supplements | VeganFriendly.org.uk


Here we look at a whole host of nutrients to help those following a plant-based diet understand more about vegan nutrition. Vitamin B12 is one of the micronutrients that vegans are most concerned about and so here we have a full and in-depth look at what it is, why we need it, whether B12...




www.veganfriendly.org.uk


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## attic (May 20, 2012)

thisisme said:


> You'll be fine. I need to watch it too. I do use nutritional yeast tho on veggies. I mix it with a bit of plant milk and garlic powder and pour it on broccoli or potatoes. Has a kind of cheese sauce sort of taste.
> 
> *Vegan sources of B12*
> 
> ...


I think it is not proven the b12 in anything vegan but fortified food (like plant milk, fortified nutritional yeast), and supplements, are active versions humans can use, or are in tiny amounts. That was last time I checked at least, unless there are new findings. So to be on the safe side one better take a supplement, or enough fortified foods to get the amount needed (two deciliter of soymilk a day isn't enough for example).





-------------------------------

The thread is old. But if someone else has a similar problem, and hasn't had almost any for around five years, I would get a medical check. To make sure you get the right supplements (sometimes when the deficiency is bad you get injections instead I think) and then come back and check that it is getting better. I don't know if there is anything to do if there are already permanent damages to nerves, but perhaps one can ask the doctor about that, treating symptoms. B12 is really important, for several things in the body, blood and nerves.

There are good trustworthy sources of information to read up about it. Don't listen only to any self-proclaimed blogger though (or me!), it can work as a springboard for questions, but look up information on trustworthy pages.

I most likely got deficiency myself in my teens 20 years ago, when information was more hard to find and I trusted hearsay about having 2 years b12 storage. I had restless leg-like symptoms, but not just in the legs, but arms, hips, head... it was driving me mad. I don't think that is always the case though. Sometimes I wonder if my general tiredness is a permanent symptom from those years, but that is just something I wonder. But my point is, with b12 you might not get that much symptoms until it gets bad and some can be lasting, so it is not a good idea to gamble about it.


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## gracewil (Sep 7, 2021)

I am not a vegan yet, just overthinking my eating habits etc etc. I was never a big fan of a meat, could eat some chicken or turkey, but that's all. I was never attracted by the smell of it, look of it so maybe that's the sign i should stop eating it at all. Would be curious to hear people which just went vegan (or vegetarian) recently. What supplements or vitamins did you start to take. I have my vitamins coming from canadian pharmacy twice a year but those are just general ones, have nothing to do with veganism.


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