Plant-Based Diets | The Research

B-12 Deficiency: Risks and Symptoms
Vegetarian, Vegan, and Raw/Vegan Diets: The Research

Before we get to the data, the reader should note that I ate a Vegetarian, then Vegan, then Raw/Live Vegan over a 17-year period of my life. 

I still eat a largely plant-based, raw/live food diet. I have a M.A. in Raw/Live Vegan Nutrition, and definitely advocate a move up what I call The Spectrum of Diet™ through Vegetarian, Vegan, and Raw/Live Vegan diets to heal the major health challenges we have. My Juice Feasting™ program is a Raw/Live Vegan Program.

My interest is in health, and those of us eating a plant-based diet will be wiser than ever to heed this B-12 data and happily respond proactively – so that B-12 deficiency becomes a story of the past for such a compassionate and beautiful community of eaters. OKAY. Here is the data!!!

A common perception is that B-12 deficiency is only found in Vegetarians and Vegans. While the data show that plant-based eaters do have lower B-12 levels, take a look at what Dr. Gabriel Cousens, M.D., author of Conscious Eating has to say about the wide spectrum of the population that tests deficient in vitamin B-12:

Many people have heard that vegans are low in B-12. That’s absolutely true. Meat-eaters are deficient, too. There is a minimum level of B-12 you need to survive and a maximum level that is optimal for long-term health. At the minimum level, (180-200 nano-grams of B-12), 80% of vegans are deficient, but 40% of meat eaters are deficient at these levels as well. When you look at optimal intake of B-12, (400 units in your blood), meat eaters are equally deficient. It is likely that 90% of meat eaters and vegans are deficient at optimal levels. The best thing for everyone is to take a B-12 supplement. When I was at Columbia Medical School in the 1960’s, they did a study that found that 30% of people judged to have adequate B-12 levels (mostly meat-eaters), had dramatically positive responses to getting B-12 shots. Depression went away, and sense of wellbeing was reported in many study participants. Even in 1960’s they knew that on average people are low in B-12. I just want to emphasize the point that everybody is low in B-12. It is a big problem. [14]

Vegan health practitoner Dr. Joel Fuhrman, author of New York Times bestseller Eat to Livesays, “It is entirely irresponsible for a health professional not to recommend B-12 supplementation in some form or frequent monitoring of MMA with blood tests for those who do not consume any animal products in their diets. No controversy exists.” I agree with Dr. Fuhrman, except to note that a urine MMA test is the Gold Standard – not a blood test. We will cover this in the section, “View #3: The Gold Standard for Testing B-12.”

A KEY piece of research comparing B-12 levels among Vegans, Lacto-Vegetarians, Lacto-Ovo Vegetarians, and Semi-Vegetarians (eating some meat – what Dr. Neal Barnard calls “Lacto Ovo Pesco Pollo Vegetarians…) shows that as animal products are removed from one’s diet, the amount of serum B-12 drops SIGNIFICANTLY.

Here is the research:

Dong A, Scott SC (1982) “Serum vitamin B-12 and blood cell values in vegetarians.” Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism, vol. 26, pp. 209-216.

Tom Billings of BeyondVeg.com [15] reports on the study:

Dong and Scott [1982] took blood samples at the 1979 annual convention of the American Natural Hygiene Society (ANHS), and tested the samples for serum B-12 levels and other parameters of interest. A total of 83 volunteers provided blood samples. Each individual in the study provided detailed dietary information via a survey form, which asked about the individual’s consumption of animal foods (including eggs and dairy), and also asked for a typical daily diet.

Based on the dietary data provided in the survey form, subjects were classified according to their diet, with vegans being defined as those who consumed no animal foods, lacto-vegetarians as those who consumed dairy as their onlyanimal food, lacto-ovo-vegetarians as those who consumed dairy and eggs, and semi-vegetarians as those who consumed animal flesh foods two or less times per month. It should be noted here that because the subjects were recruited at an ANHS convention, and the ANHS emphasized raw foods at the time, at least some of the subjects in the vegan category presumably were raw or predominantly raw vegans.

Dong and Scott [1982, pp. 214-215] report: Among subjects who did not supplement their diets with B-12 or multiple vitamin tablets, 92% of the vegans, 64% of the lacto-vegetarians, 47% of the lacto-ovo-vegetarians and 29% of the semi-vegetarians had serum B-12 levels less than 200 pg/ml [the lower limit of the normal range]. Mean serum B-12 levels of the dietary groups increased with increasing dietary sources of B-12…

NOTE that last paragraph above: 92% of Vegans were low in B-12, but only 29% of the semi vegetarians tested low. It is also important to note that the cut-off level of 200 pg/ml used in the study is really low – so the semi-vegetarians that were not below 200 pg/ml could have also been low by current standards. BUT the fewer the animal products, the higher the levels of B-12 deficiency.

Study of B-12 Levels in New Vegans

How fast does your B-12 drop when eating a plant-based diet?

One study has looked at changes in serum B-12 (sB-12) levels in new vegans. Crane et al (1994, USA)[16] had 13 students change from a Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian (dairy and eggs, no meat) to a Vegan diet (no dairy, eggs, or meat):

• All 4 students with serum B-12 in the 600-900 range fell to below 500 pg/ml in just 2 months.

• 10 students followed the diet for 5 months and their average sB-12 went from 417 ± 187 to 276 ± 122 pg/ml.

• After 5 months, 2 went from normal B-12 to below normal B-12.

These are significant drops in a relatively short period of time, and would indicate that a Vegan diet supplies the body with little to no dietary B-12 benefits.

VIDEO: DR. RICK DINA of http://rawfoodeducation.com ON VEGANS AND RAW VEGANS AND B-12 LEVELS

Global Data: Evidence That Low Dietary Animal Protein Can Be a Contributing Factor to B-12 Deficiency

In the Journal of Nutrition, November 2003, researchers report, “It is becoming clear that the prevalence of vitamin B-12 deficiency is very high in many poorer regions of the world, including Kenya (17), India (18), Guatemala (19) and Mexico (20). A number of studies now show the vitamin B-12 status of lacto-ovo vegetarians in industrialized countries to be considerably worse than that of omnivores (21, 22), presumably because of the lower amount of vitamin B-12 in milk than in meat [see sources in footnote].[17]

Also consider these journal articles on Vegetarian diets and lower B-12 levels:

“Long-Term Ovo-Lacto Vegetarian Diet Impairs Vitamin B-12 Status in Pregnant Women” http://jn.nutrition.org/content/134/12/3319.abstract “Pregnant women consuming a long-term predominantly vegetarian diet have an increased risk of vitamin B-12 deficiency.”

“Vitamin B-12 and homocysteine status among vegetarians: a global perspective.” Am J Clin Nutr 2009 89: 1693S-1698S “Overall, the studies we reviewed showedreduced [average] vitamin B-12 status and elevated [average] homocysteine concentrations in vegetarians, particularly among vegans.”

“Plasma Homocysteine Levels in Taiwanese Vegetarians Are Higher than Those of Omnivores.” Chien-Jung Hung, Po-Chao Huang*, Shao-Chun Lu*, Yi-Hwei Li , Hsien-Bin Huang**, Bi-Fong Lin , Sue-Joan Chang and Hsu-Fang Chou. Online: http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/abstract/132/2/152?ijkey=21148926f18a0a7afe37a39bbb45877f125cebf2&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha “In conclusion, the Buddhist nuns who consumed a lacto-vegetarian diet had mildly elevated fasting plasma homocysteine levels presumably due to lower levels of plasma vitamin B-12.”

Three Studies on Raw/Live Vegans and B-12 Status

1. The first is a longitudinal study on Raw Live Vegans compared with Omnivores called “Vitamin B-12 Status of Long-Term Adherents of a Strict Uncooked Vegan Diet.”[18] You can download the study here:

http://jn.nutrition.org/content/125/10/2511.full.pdf

The conclusions:

In the longitudinal part of the study, food consumption data were collected and blood samples were taken from nine “living food eaters” (1 male, 8 females) on two occasions 2 years apart. The cross-sectional study revealed significantly lower serum vitamin B-12 concentrations in the vegans (average 193 pmol/L) compared with their matched omnivorous controls (average 311 pmol/L).

And here is the chart of B-12 levels for the participants in the study: Raw Vegans and Omnivores:

Note that the average serum B-12 levels for both Raw Vegans and Omnivores was TOO LOW. Both groups were low. The Japanese set the serum B-12 levels at 550… The highest level measured was for an Omnivore around 480… so both the Raw/Live Vegans (average 193 pmol/L) and their matched omnivorous controls (average 311 pmol/L) are in need of B-12 support!

2. “Metabolic vitamin B-12 status on a mostly raw vegan diet with follow-up using tablets, nutritional yeast, or probiotic supplements.” Donaldson MS. Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism, 2000; vol. 44, pp. 229-34.

3. Finally, this study is very informative: “Long-Term Consumption of a Raw Food Diet Is Associated with Favorable Serum LDL Cholesterol and Triglycerides but Also with Elevated Plasma Homocysteine and Low Serum HDL Cholesterol in Humans.”[19]

This is not a strike against eating a plant-based diet – BUT we do need to heed this data when adopting one! And it’s easy to take care of this!!

Homocysteine (Hcy) Levels

Low B-12 levels go along with high homocysteine levels. If you are eating a plant-based diet, and you have low B-12 levels, you almost certainly have high homocysteine. As a nutritionist and researcher, I can tell you that the low B-12, high homocysteine combination can potentially wipe out the health protective benefits you should be deriving from eating a plant-based diet. I cannot state this strongly enough.

This is CLEARLY shown in The Journal of Nutrition, “Long-Term Consumption of a Raw Food Diet Is Associated with Favorable Serum LDL Cholesterol and Triglycerides but Also with Elevated Plasma Homocysteine and Low Serum HDL Cholesterol in Humans.”[20] The article states:

“Nearly half of all raw food diet followers had a functional vitamin B-12 deficiency defined as low plasma vitamin B-12 in combination with elevated plasma homocysteine (tHcy). You can read the whole report here:

http://jn.nutrition.org/content/135/10/2372.long (text online)

http://jn.nutrition.org/content/135/10/2372.full.pdf+html (.pdf download)

Dr. Gabriel Cousens, M.D. writes:

“Using the gold standard methyl malonic acid test, studies show that without supplementing with B-12, vegans have higher homocysteine levels than lacto-ovo vegetarians and non-vegetarians, which means they are deficient in B-12.

The good news, of course, is that B-12 supplementation will decrease these high homocysteine levels back to normal range. High homocysteine levels are connected with the potential for heart disease, arterial destruction and neurological pathologies. Other diseases associated with an elevated homocysteine are: Alzheimer’s, age related hearing loss, neural tube defects, recurrent loss of pregnancy, increased mortality.”

If I can indulge you, the researchers from the study cited above drew a graph of the results of Raw Vegans’ B-12 levels and homocysteine levels. Healthy homocysteine levels are: 2.2 – 13.2 µmole/L.

What you will notice is that as you move to the right, on average the dots get lower on the chart. In this case, the data shows that among the Raw Vegans in the study, as their B-12 levels got higher, their homocysteine levels decreased. It is VERY IMPORTANT to your health to keep your homocysteine levels down with healthy B-12 levels.

Therefore, when you use the GOLD Standard Urinary MMA test for looking at your B-12 levels, have a homocysteine test done, as well. These are excellent reference points for your past, and your future!!!

Pregnancy and B-12

Low Animal Foods and Low B-12 Among Pregnant Women and their Children: Women with the lowest B-12 levels had five times the risk of having a child with a neural tube defect compared to women with the highest B-12 levels. Women who consume little or no meat or animal based foods were the most likely to have low B-12 levels, according to a joint study by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), Trinity College Dublin, and the Health Research Board of Ireland.[21]

Dr. Gabriel Cousens, M.D. also has some excellent guidance on Pregnancy and B-12:

“[Vitamin B-12] deficiency is particularly true with newborn babies, especially babies of vegan live-food nursing mothers who are not using B-12 supplementation. In contrast to the average adult storage of 2,000-3,000 pg. of B-12, newborns of mothers with normal B-12 have about 25 pg. Studies have shown that the milk during the first week of life does contain large amounts of B-12. This means that the B-12 storage in infants at birth is normally adequate to last the first few weeks of life. Afterwards, they must get it from breast milk or other sources. If a vegan or live-food mother is already B-12 deficient during pregnancy, the baby may be born with seriously low B-12 levels and develop clinical signs of deficiency as soon as two weeks. The general research suggests that even among non-vegetarians, B-12 can be insufficient in infants, and that perhaps all breastfeeding mothers should consider B-12 supplements for themselves and their infants during the time of breastfeeding. This lack of B-12 in the mother’s diet during pregnancy has been associated with a lack of myelin production, which is the coating of the nerves. It takes somewhere between one to twelve months to develop, and manifests as failure to thrive and slow developmental progression. The babies are often lethargic, lose their ability to use muscle adequately, and even their sensory attunement decreases. They also have irregular macrocytic anemia.

The good news that one major study in the United Kingdom in 1988 showed, in studying 37 vegan children was that there was normal growth and development in children who were breastfed for 6 months at a minimum, when there was B-12 supplementation.”[22]

If you are just taking folic acid to prevent neural tube defects, please consider EASILY raising your B-12 levels by having them checked with the GOLD STANDARD (Urine MMA Test) and supplementing appropriately, as discussed below!! Our future generations thank you!

You might also like to know that in Japan, B-12 (methylcobalamin) is being used to treat infertility, based on limited but promising clinical research.[23]

Finally, one last study to consider:

“Long-Term Ovo-Lacto Vegetarian Diet Impairs Vitamin B-12 Status in Pregnant Women”

http://jn.nutrition.org/content/134/12/3319.abstract The study states, “Pregnant women consuming a long-term predominantly vegetarian diet have an increased risk of vitamin B-12 deficiency.”

Breast Cancer and B-12 Levels

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University report[24] that women with breast cancer tend to have lower vitamin B-12 levels in their blood serum than do women without breast cancer.

The researchers determined vitamin B-12 concentrations in blood samples obtained in 1974 and in 1989 and compared the levels found in 195 women who later developed breast cancer with the levels found in 195 women free of cancer. They found that postmenopausal women with the lowest serum levels of vitamin B-12 had a 2.5-4.0 times greater likelihood of being in the breast cancer group than did women with the highest levels.

In a subsequent review of the findings Dr. Sang-Woon Choi, MD of Tufts University speculates that a vitamin B-12 deficiency may lead to breast cancer because it could result in less folate being available to ensure proper DNA replication and repair.[25]

Another excellent reason to maintain adequate B-12 levels!

Aging: Reasons the Elderly Are at High Risk for Vitamin B-12 Deficiency

Remember the section, “B-12 METABOLISM: WHY YOU MAY NOT BE GETTING IT”? Your body must be in top form along multiple lines in order to absorb B-12 from foods.

BOTTOM LINE ON AGING AND B-12: As many of us get older, the necessary factors to extract, transport, and assimilate B-12 grow less adequate. Thankfully, we are now aware of this and can take care of it EASILY. B-12 deficiency need not be a factor of aging anymore.

Below I have highlighted in red the most common reasons we see increased B-12 deficiency as we age, but do note all the conditions. Many of these can be prevented by a diet that minimizes or eliminates processed food, and emphasizes plenty of fresh, organic, whole foods; regular exercise; an active life-affirming life; and appropriate B-12 supplementation!

A November 1995 review in Age and Aging called “Cobalamin deficiency and mental impairment in elderly people,” relates some important information about B-12 deficiency and declining mental functioning. It also notes the importance of timely diagnosis and appropriate supplementation in improving B-12 deficiency symptoms. Here are the notable excerpts:

“Cobalamin deficiency worsens with increasing age and has been implicated in declining cognitive functions in elderly persons. Early diagnosis and treatment of cobalamin deficiency are thus important in preventing or slowing down neuropsychiatric disorders in the elderly.”

“Another manifestation of cobalamin deficiency is altered mental status, which consists of impairment of attention span, memory abstraction, or other intellectual functions with or without abnormalities of behaviour, mood, affect, or logical thought. Neuropsychiatric symptoms may be the initial, or the only, manifestations of cobalamin deficiency.”

“Cobalamin deficiency may result in a variety of mental symptoms, such as organic psychosis, dementia, paranoia, memory impairment, mania, slow mentation, hallucinations, and depression.”

“A finding of low serum cobalamin levels in Alzheimer’s disease and multi-infarct dementia, but not in other forms of dementia or cognitive impairment, would suggest that cobalamin deficiency may cause specific types of dementia and is not the result of dementia with consequently insufficient dietary intake of cobalamin.”

“In a recent study 18 subjects with low serum cobalamin and evidence of cognitive dysfunction were investigated. Only patients who had symptoms for less than 1 year showed improvement after therapy. The best clinical responders had been symptomatic for less than 6 months.”

“These investigations indicate that the duration of the cobalamin deficiency plays an essential role in the degree of improvement of neuropsychiatric symptoms after treatment. . .This is important, because cobalamin deficiency may have to be acknowledged as a significant cause of neuropsychiatric disorders in elderly people. Early treatment may prevent irreversibility of the neuropsychological features and organic lesions of the brain related to the deficiency.”

TURNAROUND AT 85. . .

In a letter to the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society doctors from the Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore report on a case of vitamin B-12 deficiency. The patient, an 85-year-old man, had developed progressive memory loss and lethargy over a two-year period. Although his serum level of vitamin B-12 was within the currently accepted range, the doctors decided to proceed with vitamin B-12 therapy.

The patient received an intramuscular injection of 1000 micrograms of vitamin B-12 for three consecutive days, then 1000 micrograms weekly for a month, and then one injection every month.

By the fifth injection his mental status has vastly improved and his lethargy had completely vanished.

The doctors concluded that the levels of serum vitamin B-12 concentrations currently considered normal in the United States might be too low and should be reassessed.

The lower limit of 200 pg/mL is based on the level which causes abnormalities in the blood (pernicious anemia). In contrast the lower limit in Japan and some European countries is 500-550 pg/mL and is based on the level which causes mental manifestations such as dementia and memory loss. The doctors suggest that a trial of vitamin B-12 therapy is warranted in patients with borderline cobalamin serum levels as it is effective and inexpensive.[26]

Finally, on the topic of Aging and B-12 Deficiency, see these studies:

Eggersten, Robert, et al. Prevalence and diagnosis of cobalamin deficiency in older people. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, Vol. 44, No. 10, October 1996, pp. 1273-74

Goodman, Mark, et al. Are U.S. lower normal B-12 limits too low? Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, Vol. 44, No. 10, October 1996, pp. 1274-75

Lindenbaum, John, et al. Prevalence of cobalamin deficiency in the Framingham elderly population. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 60, July 1994, pp. 2-11
Allen, Lindsay H. and Casterline, Jennifer. Vitamin B-12 deficiency in elderly individuals: diagnosis and requirements. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 60, July 1994, pp. 12-14

Joosten, Etienne, et al. Metabolic evidence that deficiencies of vitamin B-12 (cobalamin), folate, and vitamin B-6 occur commonly in elderly people. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 58, No. 3, September 1993, pp. 468-76

Andres E, et al. Food-Cobalamin Malabsorption In Elderly Patients: Clinical Manifestations and Treatment. Am J Med 2005;118:1154.

Just the Elderly? Nope

It was also thought that in terms of age, only older age was a factor. But all age groups are susceptible:

Katherine L. Tucker is a nutritional epidemiologist at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston. Tucker and colleagues wanted to get a sense of B-12 levels spanning the adult population because most previous studies have focused on the elderly. That age group was thought to be at higher risk for deficiency. The researchers also expected to find some connection between dietary intake and plasma levels, even though other studies found no association. Some of the results were surprising. The youngest group— the 26 to 49 year olds—had about the same B-12 status as the oldest group—65 and up. “We thought that low concentrations of B-12 would increase with age,” says Tucker. “But we saw a high prevalence of low B-12 even among the youngest group.”[27]

Pharmaceutical Drugs that Lower B-12 Levels

Take a look at these. This list is just one perspective of many. Whether you have, or have not, taken these pharmaceuticals will help you develop a better perspective on whether you are low in B-12, and perhaps why. This may be a call for you to look deeper into your diet and lifestyle and enjoy some deeply deserved transformation in your life!

IF YOU HAVE NOT / ARE NOT TAKING ANY OF THESE: Great. This is just a reference, and a reminder to employ excellent Life Practices that protect and improve your health so that the need for these drugs is decreased, and hopefully eliminated.

IF YOU HAVE, OR DO USE ANY OF THESE: Cool. You are on a journey. It is why you are reviewing this Course and doing the best things possible for your health now. Not only these drugs, but the diet, lifestyle, and health challenges associated with the taking of these drugs will all lower B-12 levels. So this is an excellent lens for you on whether or not you are low in B-12, and the insights you can gain (such as what you can do to reduce or eliminate your need for pharmaceuticals) will be valuable as you chart your path to better health.

The List of Pharmaceuticals That Limit B-12

Categories of drugs that can diminish the body’s supply of vitamin B-12 include antibiotics, anticancer medications, anticonvulsants, anti-gout medications, antihypertensives, antiParkinson’s medications, antipsychotics, antituberculosis medications, birth control pills, cholesterol-lowering drugs, and potassium replacements. Examples of specific medications in each category are listed below.

Antacids and B-12 Deficiency

Researchers at the University of Colorado School of Pharmacy warn that prolonged use of acid-suppressing drugs such as cimetidine (Tagamet), ranitidine (Zantac) and omeprazole (Losec) can lead to a serious vitamin-B-12 deficiency.

They cite the case of a 78-year-old non-vegetarian, white woman with GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) who had been taking cimetidine or ranitidine for 4.5 years. She was started on cimetidine (300 mg four times daily) in February 1990, which was changed to ranitidine (150 mg twice daily) in April 1993. Her vitamin B-12 level was normal (413 pg/mL) in August 1992, but by June 1994 it had decreased to 256 pg/mL and her homocysteine level had increased dramatically to 27.3 micromol/L. Note: A homocysteine level above 10 micromol/L vastly increases the risk of atherosclerosis and stroke with a 5 micromol/L increase corresponding to a 70 per cent increase in the risk of heart disease and a 50 per cent increase in stroke risk.

 The patient was started on 1000 micrograms/day of sublingual vitamin B-12 supplementation and by November 1994 her level was back up to 517 pg/mL and her homocysteine level was down to 20.3 micromol/L. Further improvements were observed in March 1998 when her vitamin B-12 level was up to 629 pg/mL and homocysteine was down to 13.9 micromol/L. The researchers point out that other studies have shown that omeprazole also lowers vitamin B-12 levels and conclude that older people on long-term acid-suppressing drugs should be monitored for vitamin B-12 deficiency and supplement if necessary.[28]

Diabetes Drug Linked With B-12 Deficiency

A Wisconsin doctor reports a case of a 63-year-old man who developed a severe vitamin-B-12 deficiency after having taken metformin (Glucophage) for five years. Replacing the metformin with sulfonylurea and taking 1000 mcg of (vitamin B-12) for two months reversed the deficiency. Dr. Mary Ann Gilligan estimates that 10 to 30 per cent of patients on metformin develop a vitamin B-12 deficiency. [29]

Does Cooking Destroy Vitamin B-12 Levels in Foods?

There are just a few studies on this question, and the jury is still out. I have been an educated advocate in the Raw Vegan community for years, and this topic is important to cover. The small sample of data we do have suggests that B-12 levels are reduced by heat, but how much is unclear. All of this data is on B-12 levels in animal products. More study needs to be done. Here is what we have: [30] [31] [32]

• Herbert [1984] reports that dehydration at 200°C (392°F) for 6 days reduced B-12 levels by approximately one-third. The temperatures for this study are WAY over normal dehydration or cooking temps.

• Banerjee and Chatterjea [1963] report wide variation in B-12 losses in cooking various types of fish, meat, and milk. B-12 losses, when they occurred, ranged from 23.7-96.4%. However, one fish species in their study showed no loss of B-12, and samples from three fish species (and also goat liver) showed increases in B-12 levels from cooking. (The authors suggest the increase may be caused by cooking increasing the B-12 level in the extraction solvent.) The result that B-12 level for some species increased via cooking, of course, raises questions regarding the overall reliability of their experimental methods and results. Also, their study measured B-12 via microbial assay (Euglena gracilis var. bacillaris), which today is regarded as a less-reliable assay method (does not/may not distinguish analogue forms from true B-12). Banerjee and Chatterjea [1963] also tested 20 types of plant foods, and found no B-12 activity in any of the raw plant foods.

• Heyssel et al. [1966] report that liver boiled in water for 5 minutes lost only 8% of its vitamin B-12 content (vs. raw liver), while muscle meat broiled at 171°C (340°F) for 45 minutes lost 27% of vitamin B-12 (vs. raw meat). They note that some of the B-12 they record as lost might actually be contained in the drippings (liquids discarded) in cooking.

Again, we have no data on the cooking of plant foods and the loss of B-12. WHAT WE DO KNOW, from our information above, is that plant foods do not provide sufficient quantities of human-active B-12, so the point is somewhat irrelevant. We are going to take care of our B-12 needs in a way that guarantees good, healthy levels, no matter what diet we eat!

Coming up next: B12 Deficient? Take This Test. This is a test you can do right now, at home, to begin to better assess your B12 levels!

+ Introduction to the B-12 Exposed Course

+ Take-Home Quotes

+ What You Are Going To Do With This Course

+ Vitamin B-12: What is It?

+ View #1.1: B-12 Deficiency: Risks and Symptoms

+ View #1.2: Vegetarian, Vegan, & Raw/Vegan Diets: The Research

+ View #2: A Second Look: B-12 Deficient? Take This Test

+ View #3: The Gold Standard for Testing B-12

+ Healthy Ranges for B-12 Tests

+ Three Supplement Protocols for Vitamin B-12

+ Supplement Options: What You Need to Know

+ Nutrient Interactions with B-12

+ Why is B-12 Deficiency an Epidemic?

+ ARTICLES: A DEEPER LOOK

+ Quick Reference

+ About the Author, David Rainoshek, M.A.

References and Citations