Don’t Forget the B12!
I think we all know that most of our vitamins come from the foods that we eat.
And that Vitamin D originally comes from another source - the sun.
But how many of you know that Vitamin B12 actually comes from another source altogether?
Vitamin B12 comes from microbes.
That's right, Vitamin B12 is made by bacteria that lives in the soil or in the guts of animals. Neither animals nor plants actually make Vitamin B12. Animals get most of their Vitamin B12 by eating the dirt and the microbes it contains as they eat plants - and they then pass it along to the people who eat them. That means that meat-eaters can get their Vitamin B12 from the food (meat) that they eat.
And that vegans, vegetarians, or anyone limiting their meat consumption cannot get their Vitamin B12 from the foods that they eat, unless those foods are supplemented of course, because they're not eating meat.
Some people use this as an argument against eating a plant-based diet.
But with the myriad of health benefits that a plant-based diet brings, I'll happily leave the animals out of my diet and take a supplement to address my body's Vitamin B12 needs instead.
And before those of you who are still meat-eaters check out of reading the rest of this article, let me tell you that approximately ⅓ of meat eaters are deficient in Vitamin B12 as well.
Which means that you meat-eaters really should keep reading too…
Why Vitamin B12 is So Important…
You see, Vitamin B12 is critical for gut health, proper functioning of the nervous system, the synthesis of DNA and the formation of red blood cells, as well as other functions in the body. Symptoms of Vitamin B12 deficiency include weakness, fatigue, irritability, shortness of breath, paleness, nerve damage, confusion, gastrointestinal disturbances, etc.
In my work as a physical therapist, I once worked with someone who had a Vitamin B12 deficiency. Not because he was a vegan, mind you. But because he was just in very poor health overall.
This patient originally presented with symptoms that made it appear as if he had sustained a stroke. He was confused, his balance was terrible. And then the doctors got his Vitamin B12 back to a normal level and all of his stroke-like symptoms completely disappeared.
I'm super-grateful for having witnessed this patient's experience, because it has meant that I've never messed around with my own Vitamin B12 supplementation. From working with him and seeing his near-miraculous recovery once his Vitamin B12 levels were back in check, I know just how important Vitamin B12 is.
It also means that I talk with every single one of my health coaching clients about the importance of Vitamin B12 supplementation when they are making the shift to a fully plant-based diet.
While specifically recommending supplements to my clients (and you) is out of my scope of practice, I do teach every one of them that Vitamin B12 supplementation really is IMPERATIVE for all plant-based eaters to STRONGLY CONSIDER.
I go on to teach my clients the nuances of Vitamin B12 supplementation: best sources, how much to take, who's at highest risk for deficiency, etc.
Much of what I share with them comes from one of the most highly respected physicians in the plant-based community - Dr. Michael Greger. Everything he teaches comes directly from research. He and his team at NutritionFacts.org devour the myriad of nutrition research that's out there - and then put it into an easily consumable and understandable format, for those of us who want to know this information but who don't want to spend our days devouring all this research ourselves. In my opinion, when it comes to nutrition, NutritionFacts.org is one of the most valuable sources around.
Much of what Dr. Greger and his team share is in the form of videos, most of them easy to consume, because they are typically around 5 minutes long.
But what I'm going to share with you today is a link to a PDF of an INFOGRAPHIC that he and his team prepared, about the nuances of Vitamin B12 supplementation.
As you consider your next steps for meeting your body's Vitamin B12 needs, I INVITE YOU to take a look at this valuable resource:
And to help you take this Vitamin B12 conversation a little more seriously, I want to tell you about one of my current clients…
She had thought that her Vitamin B-complex was meeting her Vitamin B12 needs appropriately. But she had also been feeling pretty low on energy. So she decided to “upgrade” from her B-complex supplement to a B12-exclusive supplement that delivered B12 to her in a higher dose and in way that was easier for her body to absorb (through a tablet that dissolves in her mouth, like Dr. Greger recommends).
Within just 2 days of taking this new B12 supplement, she found that she had so much increased energy that it felt to her like an “AWAKENING” or a “MIRACLE”!
In fact, she has experienced such a significant increase in energy that she is now using less caffeine in her daily routines…which is leading to even more improvements in her health.
Each and every change really does make a difference when it comes to our wellness!
As you can probably tell from reading this article, I take the health of my clients very seriously.
I don't want any of them missing out on information that is critical to their health and wellness, as they make the shift to a plant-based diet.
Are you in the process of making the shift to a plant-based diet yourself? Are you concerned about not getting it “right”? Are you worried that you don't know enough about proper vegan nutrition - where to get those nutrients that are so critical to your health?