Elizabeth asked... Is it necessary or desirable to have my vitamin B12 levels checked?
Yes, and YES!
Vitamin B12 is essential for maintaining good health. Low levels of vitamin B12 can lead to a range of issues including:
- Weak muscles
- Numbness
- Trouble walking
- Nausea
- Weight loss
- Irritability
- Fatigue
- Increased heart rate
Who needs that?
Next time you're due for blood work, ask your doctor to add the vitamin B12 test to your lab script. Different labs use different measurements, but generally, results above 200 or 250 pg/mL (148 or 185 pmol/L) mean you’re GOOD TO GO!
We don’t need a lot of vitamin B12 to stay healthy, but we do need a steady supply. Most adults need 2.4 mcg (micrograms) a day. To put that into perspective, 3 ounces of pan-fried beef liver has more than 70 mcg. Beef, salmon, and tuna each have about 2.5 mcg per 3 oz. serving. But these aren’t always the best options. Here’s why:
Things to Consider:
- Metformin and PPIs (Pepcid, Zantac, Prilosec, etc.) can lower B12 levels.
- As we age, it’s more likely that we can be low in vitamin B12. About 20% of adults over 60 in the US are low in vitamin B12.
Intrinsic factor, a compound in the gut that allows the body to absorb vitamin B12, decreases with age. It's good to have more vitamin B12 available to improve your chances of maintaining adequate levels.
Your body wants its vitamins from whole food.
Vitamins that come in pill form are not ideal but are sometimes needed.
The Food Dilemma:
Your body prefers vitamins from whole food, but finding clean, safe sources of vitamin B12 can be tricky. Vitamin B12 is made by bacteria found in manure and unsanitized water—things you'd prefer to avoid. However, these bacteria are present in and on animal products we consume.
Animal products often come from unsanitary conditions, where animals live and eat in manure. For example, cows are sometimes fed poultry waste. Most meats are contaminated with fecal bacteria, which can cause ailments from diarrhea to severe health issues.
Seafood isn’t a perfect solution either. Toxins like pesticides and plastics in our waters accumulate in seafood, which we then ingest. These toxins can interfere with normal nerve function and contribute to conditions like dementia, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's.
Clean Eating Solutions:
While occasional consumption of animal products might be okay, it’s much safer to EAT CLEAN FOOD. In their whole forms, fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, and whole grains won’t provide much vitamin B12. Instead, opt for plant-based milks and cereals fortified with B12, as well as tofu and tempeh.
Nutritional yeast is a great option. Known as the 'Parmesan cheese of the plant-based world,' it has a nutty-cheesy flavor perfect for sauces, salads, pasta, and more. Depending on the variety and brand, nutritional yeast contains 8 to 24 mcg of vitamin B12 per ¼ cup. Email me by replying to this message, and I'll share some of my favorite recipes using nutritional yeast.
WWPD?
Animal foods threaten my health. I avoid them.
I take a 500mcg vitamin B12 supplement 3 or 4 days a week. I use a few tablespoons of nutritional yeast in bean dishes, in 'cheez' sauces, and in hummus every week. I drink oat milk that does not contain oil (read your labels!)
My B12 blood levels are consistently in the low range of acceptable. That means...
I'M GOOD TO GO!
In the end, Elizabeth... You should take a vitamin B12 supplement if your levels are low. Invest in a bottle of vitamin quality vitamin B12. Not the supermarket brand. Look for NSF certification to be sure your supplement has what it says it has. Your doctor can tell you how much to take depending on your lab result.
I'd LOVE LOVE LOVE to hear from YOU!
Leave me a comment below, or ask your question by clicking this link.
References
HealthProfessional/#:~:text=Vitamin%20B12%20is%20naturally%20present,bioavailability%20%5B12%2C13%5D.
Watanabe F, Bito T. Vitamin B12 sources and microbial interaction. Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2018 Jan;243(2):148-158. doi: 10.1177/1535370217746612. Epub 2017 Dec 7. PMID: 29216732; PMCID: PMC5788147.
Smith M, Love DC, Rochman CM, Neff RA. Microplastics in Seafood and the Implications for Human Health. Curr Environ Health Rep. 2018 Sep;5(3):375-386. doi: 10.1007/s40572-018-0206-z. PMID: 30116998; PMCID: PMC6132564.
US Department of Health & Human Services. National Institutes of Health. Vitamin B12 Fact Sheet. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB12-
US Department of Health & Human Services. FDA. Retail Meat Report. National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System. 2009. https://www.fda.gov/media/80692/download
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