Vitamin B12 vegan - Important food supplement for vegans
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Vitamin B12 is an essential building block for energy metabolism and for the formation of blood cells and nerve sheaths. However, the human body cannot produce vitamin B12 itself and is therefore dependent on a sufficient supply. However, this vital B vitamin is mainly found in animal products. If you eat a vegan diet, there is therefore an increased risk of a deficiency and the resulting consequences. Here you can find out how you can take vitamin B12 as a vegan, how you can recognize a deficiency and how you can prevent deficiency symptoms.
Table of contents:
- The functions of vitamin B12 in the body
- Which plant-based foods contain the vitamin?
- Vegan diet - does supplementation make sense?
- Vitamin B12 deficiency: symptoms at a glance
- Prevention of deficiency symptoms with a vegan diet
- Vitamin B12 in vegans - what does "high dose" mean?
- Conclusion: risks of deficiency are particularly high with a vegan diet
The functions of vitamin B12 in the body
As already mentioned, vitamin B12 is essential for good energy metabolism. This vitamin is a cofactor of enzymes that is far more important for your body. The formation of red blood cells and the health of your nervous system require vitamin B12. If there is a deficiency, the amino acid homocysteine cannot be broken down properly and your body is unable to convert methylmalonic acid into leucine. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to ensure a sufficient supply of vegan vitamin B12 through diet alone.
Many vegans therefore suffer from a deficiency, which manifests itself in nervousness, anaemia and a reduction in cell division (associated with the acceleration of visible skin ageing). Vitamin B12 therefore fulfills a number of important functions in the body and is a vitamin that you should take in the right amount. You don't have to be deficient, even if you eat a purely plant-based diet and avoid all animal products.
You don't need synthetic vitamin B12, as there are some products that allow you to absorb the vital vitamin completely naturally. If you feel the slightest signs of a deficiency, it is important that you act immediately and be aware of the fact that a vitamin B12 deficiency can cause long-term damage to body function and nerve cells.
Which plant-based foods contain vitamin B12?
The largest deposits of natural vitamin B12 are found in animal foods. Meat, eggs, milk and cheese are rich in this important B vitamin. If you eat a vegan diet, none of these foods are on your menu. Unfortunately, fruit and vegetables do not contain the vitamin at all - or only in small traces. According to the German Nutrition Society, sea buckthorn berries are practically one of the only foods enriched with natural vitamin B12. Small traces are said to be found in sauerkraut, which is produced by bacterial fermentation. Nori algae is also known to contain vitamin B12 (vegan). However, you cannot consume all of these foods in sufficient quantities to supply your body with the B group vitamin.
Vegan food is not unhealthy. However, vegans should always bear in mind that they lack all the vitamins that are only present in small amounts in plant-based foods. The causes of many illnesses are simply due to a lack of essential vital substances that the body and mind need to stay healthy. As vegan vitamin B12 is only found in very few foods and only in small doses, it is advisable to take additional vitamin B12 supplements.
Vegan diet - does supplementation make sense?
Supplementation, i.e. the prevention of deficiency through food supplements, is recommended by nutritionists and doctors. As not only B12, but also other B vitamins are contained in fruit and vegetables in smaller quantities, supplementary nutrition with a high dose of vitamin B, for example with Vitamin B 50 Complex, is recommended.
The amount of sea buckthorn, algae or sauerkraut that the body would need for a natural supply of vitamin B12 per day cannot be consumed. A supplement containing sufficient vegan vitamin B12 can prevent deficiencies and ensure a healthy, vital life. When taking additional supplements, you should always remember that a lot does not help a lot. Your body needs a certain dose of vitamin B12 every day. It is therefore not necessary to take large amounts and assume that you will be optimally supplied in this case. The component that your body does not need is broken down and excreted by the kidneys. The excess vitamin B12 is therefore of no benefit. Balanced, correctly dosed supplementation is therefore recommended.
Vitamin B12 deficiency: symptoms at a glance
There is a whole range of symptoms for a vitamin B12 deficiency. Is your skin pale, do you feel tired and can you no longer concentrate on one thing after changing your diet? In this case, a deficiency is a possible cause. However, tiredness, weakness and more frequent inflammation of the mucous membranes are only the visible symptoms of a vitamin B12 deficiency.
Many vegans suffer from serious damage to the central nervous system in addition to the blood formation disorder. If the nervous system is undersupplied, this problem manifests itself in the early stages as tingling hands and feet. Those affected describe the symptom with a comparison. It feels as if ants are running over their hands and legs. This does not mean that a vegan diet is unhealthy. But you should plan it properly and take the vitamins that the body cannot produce itself via a supplements especially for vegans. vegans.
In the advanced stages of a vitamin B12 deficiency, you are putting your physical and mental health at risk. In addition to the tingling sensation, which indicates sensory disturbances, the following illnesses are favored by a vitamin B12 deficiency:
+ Reflex disorders
+ Movement weakness
+ movement coordination disorders
+ hallucinations
+ Memory impairment
+ Depressive moods
+ Cardiovascular diseases due to low homocysteine levels
It is therefore particularly important that you prevent this risk and provide your body with sufficient vitamins, minerals and trace elements in the form of nutritional supplements when following a vegan diet.
Are you wondering why your skin looks pale and gray on a vegan diet? Vitamin B12 is an important building block for cell division and is therefore responsible for keeping your skin fresh and healthy. If cell division doesn't work, dead skin cells are left behind and new skin is only marginally regenerated. This leads to the pale appearance that other people often describe as "gray skin". Hair loss or increased hair breakage can also indicate a vitamin B12 deficiency. This is because, like the skin, hair growth is also based on cell division. A diet containing animal products can also lead to a vitamin B deficiency can also occur.
Prevention of deficiency symptoms with a vegan diet
There is only one way to get enough vitamin B12 on a vegan diet and thus protect yourself from the symptoms and irreversible illnesses caused by a deficiency. You can either supplement with high-dose vitamin B12 or a B vitamin complex, which contains all 8 B vitamins including folic acid. Or you can supply your body with the organic superfood chlorella with B vitamins. Chlorella is a freshwater algae that is rich in natural vitamin B12.
If you want your child to follow a vegan diet, it is particularly important to raise the issue with your pediatrician. This is because infants and young children are particularly sensitive to deficiencies. This can lead to developmental disorders and permanent nerve damage. As many symptoms are irreversible, you should take special care to ensure that your child does not develop a deficiency.
If you have recently changed your child's diet, you will not notice any deficiencies in the first few weeks and months. However, bear in mind that the storage of previously absorbed B12 vitamins in the intestine lasts for some time. So if you are feeling well, if you are focused and alert, this does not mean that a deficiency cannot occur. If the reserves in the large intestine are used up and your body needs new vitamin B12, you should react immediately and take vegan vitamin B12 regularly. There is no other way to prevent a deficiency and its consequences, as vegans can never get enough vitamin B12 from their diet.
Vitamin B12 for vegans - what does "high-dose" mean?
Vegans, vegetarians and older people have an increased need for vitamin B12. High-dose supplements can be beneficial here and prevent deficiency symptoms. Many people therefore opt for a high-dose supplement. This is because you only need to take the capsule or tablet once a day to cover your entire daily requirement. It is worth knowing that it is a water-soluble vitamin. This in turn means that excess amounts are broken down in the kidneys and excreted in the urine. An overdose is therefore impossible.
If you suffer from kidney problems, you should therefore discuss your vitamin B12 intake with your doctor. However, as a healthy adult with a vegan lifestyle, there is nothing to prevent deficiency symptoms with high-dose vitamin B12 vegan. You will usually notice very quickly whether the amount of vitamin B12 supplementation is sufficient. If you start supplementing before you notice a deficiency, there is a good chance that you will not suffer from a deficiency at all.
Conclusion: Risks of an undersupply are particularly high with a vegan diet
Studies show that the external intake of vitamin B12 prevents symptoms of deficiency in vegans. While meat eaters are well supplied without supplementation, a purely plant-based diet favors vitamin deficiencies. Vitamin B12 cannot be produced by the body and is mainly found (in large, sufficient quantities) in animal products. Nevertheless, a vegan diet is a good choice, as long as deficiency symptoms are prevented and the essential vitamins are taken as supplements. If the body lacks vitamin B12, there is a high risk of physical and nervous damage. As the majority of diseases caused by a deficiency are irreversible, you should focus on prevention and avoid vitamin B12 deficiency. The best way to take vegan vitamin B12 is in tablet or capsule form. Powders (superfoods made from algae) are also a very good option.
Sources:
- https://www.vegan.at/inhalt/vitamin-b12-versorgung-bei-veganer-ernahrung
-https://www.dge.de/presse/pm/woher-bekommen-veganer-protein-und-vitamin-b12/