We were dining out with friends, when one of them raised the discussion about the vegetarian diet and pros/cons.....definitely the pros list was way ahead of the cons, but there are a couple of things to be careful about being a veg*n (vegetarian/vegan)
Vitamin B12.
The main source of this vitamin in most diets is red meat, organ meats, eggs and milk and milk products like yoghurt. Small quantities are found in soybeans, green beans, beets, carrots and peas.
Other foods such as barley, malted syrup, sourdough bread, parsley, shitake mushrooms, Organic Fermented soya products ,tofu and soybean paste, seaweeds (Nori etc) and algae such as spirulina also have some B-12 in them.
Vitamin B12 is important in the formation of red blood cells and the maintenence of a healthy nervous system. When deficiency does occur it is more likely to be due to a failure to absorb B12 from the intestine than a dietary deficiency. Only very small amounts of dietary vitamin B12 are needed because our bodies do a fabulous job of recycling this essential nutrient, even in vegetarians. Human vitamin B12 deficiency is very unlikely to occur in such a setting. B12 is stored in the liver and muscles for many years. The Dietary reference intake for an adult ranges from 2 to 3 µg (micrograms) per day. The total amount of vitamin B-12 stored in body is about 2,000-5,000 mcg in adults. Around 80% of this is stored in the liver.
For vegetarians concerned regd. supplementation, (but without a deficiency) a single sublingual B12 tablet (250-500 micrograms), once a week or every two weeks, should be sufficient to maintain most individual’s serum B12 levels and body reserves. Vitamin B-12 can be supplemented in healthy subjects also by liquid, strip, nasal spray, or injection and is available singly or in combination with other supplements.
Vegans can obtain B12 from a wide range of foods which have been fortified with the vitamin. These include certain yeast extracts, veggieburger mixes, breakfast cereals, and organic soy milks. You should check the packaging to see which individual products are fortified with B12.
For long term vegans, a multivitamin containing B12, a fortified breakfast cereal, or organic fortified soy milk, or fortified meat substitutes in small quantities, Some forms of nutritional yeast containing adequate amounts of B-12 are recommended.
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Vitamin B12.
The main source of this vitamin in most diets is red meat, organ meats, eggs and milk and milk products like yoghurt. Small quantities are found in soybeans, green beans, beets, carrots and peas.
Other foods such as barley, malted syrup, sourdough bread, parsley, shitake mushrooms, Organic Fermented soya products ,tofu and soybean paste, seaweeds (Nori etc) and algae such as spirulina also have some B-12 in them.
Vitamin B12 is important in the formation of red blood cells and the maintenence of a healthy nervous system. When deficiency does occur it is more likely to be due to a failure to absorb B12 from the intestine than a dietary deficiency. Only very small amounts of dietary vitamin B12 are needed because our bodies do a fabulous job of recycling this essential nutrient, even in vegetarians. Human vitamin B12 deficiency is very unlikely to occur in such a setting. B12 is stored in the liver and muscles for many years. The Dietary reference intake for an adult ranges from 2 to 3 µg (micrograms) per day. The total amount of vitamin B-12 stored in body is about 2,000-5,000 mcg in adults. Around 80% of this is stored in the liver.
For vegetarians concerned regd. supplementation, (but without a deficiency) a single sublingual B12 tablet (250-500 micrograms), once a week or every two weeks, should be sufficient to maintain most individual’s serum B12 levels and body reserves. Vitamin B-12 can be supplemented in healthy subjects also by liquid, strip, nasal spray, or injection and is available singly or in combination with other supplements.
Vegans can obtain B12 from a wide range of foods which have been fortified with the vitamin. These include certain yeast extracts, veggieburger mixes, breakfast cereals, and organic soy milks. You should check the packaging to see which individual products are fortified with B12.
For long term vegans, a multivitamin containing B12, a fortified breakfast cereal, or organic fortified soy milk, or fortified meat substitutes in small quantities, Some forms of nutritional yeast containing adequate amounts of B-12 are recommended.
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