B12 Basics for Vegetarians

By Kane, Emily

Getting the right amount of this nutrient is vital to health and wellness-especially if you follow a meat-free diet. Q: I’m a vegetarian: What should I know about vitamin B12?

– Cathy, Miami, Fla.

A: Vitamin B12 is a bright-red crystalline compound that contains the trace mineral cobalt. Methylcobalamin is the active and most readily absorbed form of vitamin B12-look for this on the label when shopping for B12 supplements. It works with the B vitamin folic acid in many processes, including DNA synthesis, red blood cell formation, and maintenance of the myelin sheath around your nerves.

Vitamin B12 is only found in significant quantities in animal foods: red and organ meats, eggs, fish, and cheese. It may come as a surprise to learn that the highest food source of B12 is clams. B12 is found, to some extent, in fermented vegetarian foods, although probably not in sufficient quantities to provide optimal tissue levels. Some experts believe that the B12 in fermented foods do not come from the pickled foods, but from the tiny bacterium that cause the fermentation.

As you suggest, it’s vital to supplement your diet with about 1,000 meg daily. Low B12 status can create many health problems, including asthma, depression, nerve damage (such as diabetic neuropathy), low sperm counts, multiple sclerosis, insomnia, tinnitus, dementia, and even cancer.

Your body’s ability to absorb B12 diminishes with age, so even nonvegetarians may need to watch for pernicious anemia (anemia caused by low levels of vitamin B12). This is the first indicator of low B12 status. Have your doctor perform annual blood tests to check your red blood cell counts.

DID YOU KNOW?

You can e-mail health questions to Emily Kane, ND, LAc (aka Dr. Em) at editorial@betternutrition.com. Put “Ask the Naturopath” in the subject line.

Copyright Active Interest Media Jul 2008

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