b-12

[Ellen]

Do you get tested for this? I have been vegan about 18 months and so I am thinking I want to look into this. I don't want to supplement unless I need to. But, I think the only way to get tested is a blood test ordered by an MD who I don't want to go through. Any ideas? Really I am not concerned that much for me, because I think I would know something was wrong, but for the kids who I don't think would know. One dd, 11 yo has dark circles under her eyes which are starting to concern me a bit so I am wanting to make sure of the B-12 status since damage can be serious and irreparable in kids.

[Dee...RawFoodMuse]

"Deficiencies Causes

There are people that might be in a deficiency, no matter what they eat. This can be caused by their bodies failing to have the ability to absorb certain food nutrients. There are also people that simply must avoid some foods forever and completely; in fact, some have allergies so severe that they can DIE as a result of eating only a single nut! Not that leaving nuts of your diet will result in a deficiency, but a combination of factors could. Certain activities or habits can cause deficiencies as well.

Most people on fruit-based diets do not experience any type of deficiency. This is because nature intended us to eat this way, so everything we need is supplied.

You might, for example, fail to obtain enough calcium (on any diet, not just raw foods) if you smoke, get too little vitamin D from the sun, drink huge amounts of caffeine, eat a lot of salt including sea salt, and take certain medications.

If your doctor suggests you are unable to metabolize sufficient amounts of a much-needed vitamin or mineral, then is the time to think of supplementation. But, it's not for everyone all the time.

Vitamin B12

We all need B12. This is one vitamin that isn't abundant in the vegan diet. Without enough, mental confusion, inability to think clearly and memory issues can occur. Too little can even cause the hands and feet to become numb.

It's good news that the normal intestinal bacterial manufacture vitamin B12. However, it can be destroyed by:

Prescription antibiotics


Other prescription drugs


Certain herbal remedies, especially those that have caffeine or substances that release caffeine or convert into caffeine or those that have toxic substances.


Intestinal cleanses, frequently used by those seeking to detox their bodies or lose weight rapidly by moving food through their bodies more quickly than normal.


Repeated colonics


Overeating, especially when mixing the wrong foods which produce poisons and acids that can impair the healthy intestinal flora


Eating frozen food often


The use of stimulants like coffee, tea and other caffeine sources


Excess fruity acids

Avoid Deficiency

Most of the factors that cause B12 deficiency are controlled by you. Don't:

Do or eat things that destroy intestinal flora


Use a sub-lingual B12 supplement when in doubt


Don't think of most supplements as solutions since most are a waste of money. "


Frederic Patenaude
Raw Vegan

[Sarah]

Hi Ellen, do you eat dulse? I have some almost everyday in salads, or just as a snack...it's one of my favorite things, and fortunately it's really high in b-12!!

[Dr. Richard A DiCenso]

Hi Ellen: Without going into an elaborate dialogue at this point, one of the most powerful tools for evaluating deficiencies and imbalances is the matrix assessment profile. For more in-depth information about this process you can visit www.matrix transformation.com. This is a process I developed over the last 30 years and use it exclusively for helping people to make these decisions. In fact, I specialize in managing unsolvable healhcare issues and think you might be quite interested in this approach as an option for sorting out some of the more inttricate diet-related obstacles.

Enjoy!

Looking forward,

Dr. Richard A. DiCenso

[Steven Brindle]

You might want to go to the doctor and get the test done. Before even going Raw Vegan, I had a blood test done for another issue. The doctor included other test including B12 and it showed I had a severe B12 deficiency. I didn't even show other symptoms. I had to supplement regardless vegan or not.