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SilverCharm":1d50wb1f said:
"Many people say that the only foods which contain vitamin B12 are animal-derived foods. This also is untrue. No foods naturally contain vitamin B12 - neither animal or plant foods. Vitamin B12 is a microbe - a bacteria - it is produced by microorganisms. Vitamin B12 is the only vitamin that contains a trace element - cobalt - which gives this vitamin its chemical name - cobalamin - which is at the centre of its molecular structure. Humans and all vertebrates require cobalt, although it is assimilated only in the form of vitamin B12."

"B12 synthesis is known to occur naturally in the human small intestine (in the ileum), which is the primary site of B12 absorption. As long as gut bacteria have cobalt and certain other nutrients, they produce vitamin B12."

"A B12 deficiency can be caused by antibiotics (from the drugs themselves and contained in milk and meat), alcohol (alcohol damages the liver, so drinkers need more B12) and smoking (and all high temp cooked food is smoky) and stress also raises B12 needs)."

"The author [Dr. Vetrano] does not believe that a vitamin B12 deficiency is more widespread in vegans or vegetarians - this is probably just another marketing lie! In fact, many so-called studies 'showing vegans deficient' have to be carefully studied themselves - many of them do not prove vegans to be deficient at all! In fact, contrary to meat and dairy industry propaganda, meat-eaters are known to be more likely to have a vitamin B12 deficiency - this has been known since 1959!!(1)"

"The author contends that animal and dairy produce is a poor source of Vitamin B12 since they are normally cooked and thereore the vitamin is contained in nutrient-deranged foodstuffs which will inevitably destroy the usability of the vitamin. Studies show that those following a typical animal-based diet require more vitamin B12 than those who do not. This is because the typical diet leads to digestive atrophy. Because B12 is peptide-bound in animal products and must be enzymatically cleaved from the peptide bonds to be absorbed, a weakened gastric acid and gastric enzyme secretions (due to a cooked food diet) causes an inability to efficiently extract vitamin B12 from external food. Nevertheless, raw food vegans can actually get more B12 by reabsorption from bile than they do from external food. Wolfe argues that the natural soil microbes and bacteria found on wild plant foods and unwashed garden plants are typically adequate to supply our B12 requirements. The natural microbes in the soil need to be duplicated and to colonise in our digestive tract, without fermentation or putrefaction."

http://www.living-foods.com/articles/b12issue.html

B12 used to be present in dirt and water, and everyone used to get their share. Due to present farming methods, however, b12 is not as prevalent.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/vegan

Your "author" is an idiot and if you believe this, you will be sick. Posts like this one are why veganism will never, ever be accepted by the mainstream. People get sick and die from a lack of B12 and the only place to get it, naturally, is from animal products. Especially beef.

From a vegan site:

"Very low B12 intakes can cause anemia and nervous system damage.

The only reliable vegan sources of B12 are foods fortified with B12 (including some plant milks, some soy products and some breakfast cereals) and B12 supplements. Vitamin B12, whether in supplements, fortified foods, or animal products, comes from micro-organisms.

Most vegans consume enough B12 to avoid anaemia and nervous system damage, but many do not get enough to minimize potential risk of heart disease or pregnancy complications."


http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/everyvegan/

From the Vegan Society:

"In over 60 years of vegan experimentation only B12 fortified foods and B12 supplements have proven themselves as reliable sources of B12, capable of supporting optimal health. It is very important that all vegans ensure they have an adequate intake of B12, from fortified foods or supplements. This will benefit our health and help to attract others to veganism through our example.


Getting an adequate amount of B12
National recommendations for B12 intakes vary significantly from country to country. The US recommended intake is 2.4 µgs a day for ordinary adults rising to 2.8 µgs for nursing mothers. The German recommendation is 3 µgs a day.§ Recommended intakes are usually based on 50% absorption, as this is typical for small amounts from foods. To meet the US and German recommendations you need to obtain sufficient B12 to absorb 1.5 µgs per day on average. This amount should be sufficient to avoid even the initial signs of inadequate B12 intake, such as slightly elevated homocysteine and MMA levels, in most people. Even slightly elevated homocysteine is associated with increased risk of many health problems including heart disease in adults, preeclampsia during pregnancy and neural tube defects in babies."

Another vegan site:

"There are no reliable, unfortified plant sources of vitamin B12; therefore fortified foods and/or supplements are necessary for the optimal health of vegans.31
Vitamin B12 protects the nervous system. Without it, permanent damage can result (e.g., blindness, deafness, and dementia). It also keeps the digestive system healthy and reduces the risk of heart disease by lowering homocysteine levels. Early deficiency symptoms sometimes include fatigue, and tingling in the hands or feet.
B12 keeps the digestive system healthy. By lowering homocysteine levels, it also reduces the risk of heart disease, stroke, neural tube defects, and other diseases. Vegans and vegetarians who do not supplement with vitamin B12 have consistently shown elevated homocysteine levels.4 studies on vegans and vegetarians (who were not supplementing with B12) published in the last 3 years all showed vegans to have the highest levels of homocysteine.12, 13, 14, 15 The vegans' levels were high enough for them to be considered at risk for heart disease. In one study, vegans vegetarians were given B12 and their homocysteine returned to healthy levels.16
Vegan infants need B12 through breast milk (their mothers must have a consistent B12 intake) or formula.
The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for vitamin B12 is 2.4 micrograms for adults (abbreviated as µg or mcg),
B12 is stored in the liver. If you have been a typical meat eater for most of your life, your liver should have stored enough B12 to prevent serious deficiency symptoms for a number of years. However, when B12 intake is zero, old B12 stores cannot be relied on to keep homocysteine levels in check."
 
SilverCharm":1r5tb32y said:
http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/advocacy_933_ENU_HTML.htm

"It is the position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada that appropriately planned vegetarian diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Approximately 2.5% of adults in the United States and 4% of adults in Canada follow vegetarian diets. A vegetarian diet is defined as one that does not include meat, fish or fowl. Interest in vegetarianism appears to be increasing, with many restaurants and college foodservices offering vegetarian meals routinely. Substantial growth in sales of foods attractive to vegetarians has occurred, and these foods appear in many supermarkets. This position paper reviews the current scientific data related to key nutrients for vegetarians, including protein, iron, zinc, calcium, vitamin D, riboflavin, vitamin B-12, vitamin A, n-3 fatty acids and iodine. A vegetarian, including vegan, diet can meet current recommendations for all of these nutrients. In some cases, use of fortified foods or supplements can be helpful in meeting recommendations for individual nutrients. Well-planned vegan and other types of vegetarian diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including during pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood and adolescence. Vegetarian diets offer a number of nutritional benefits, including lower levels of saturated fat, cholesterol, and animal protein as well as higher levels of carbohydrates, fiber, magnesium, potassium, folate, and antioxidants such as vitamins C and E and phytochemicals. Vegetarians have been reported to have lower body mass indices than nonvegetarians, as well as lower rates of death from ischemic heart disease; vegetarians also show lower blood cholesterol levels; lower blood pressure; and lower rates of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and prostate and colon cancer."

Once again you are posting comments about VEGETARIAN diets, not VEGAN diets. There is a difference and you know it. No one has said you can't be healthy on a vegetarian diet, especially since most of them contain animal products. On the other hand:

"Anti-meat activists would have us believe that we all could not only survive but thrive on vegan diets, and that meat consumption is just wrong. Eating vegetables exclusively does not necessarily mean good health. The American Council on Science and Health 1997 publication on vegetarianism says: “Well-planned vegetarian diets can be healthful, but we cannot attribute any unique benefits to a meatless diet. Lifestyle choices and dietary factors other than avoidance of meat are more relevant to good health.” In addition, the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology dismisses any notion that people in third world countries are healthier because they do not eat much meat. In fact, the high availability of iron, zinc, vitamin B12 and riboflavin in meat led the Human Nutritional Collaborative Research Support Program (U.S. Agency for International Development) in 1992 to recommend that meat be increased in the diets of children living in regions with low availability of animal products to improve their growth, cognitive development and health."
 
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