Did you know??? The vegan diet consists of every single vitamin and nutrient needed by humankind.
Except B12.
And vitamin B12 is very important for the human body. It helps keep the body’s nerve and blood cells healthy, and it also helps make DNA. If you have a B12 deficiency, you could potentially have a type of anemia called megaloblastic anemia, which makes people very tired and weak. This is serious, and B12 levels should be monitored by dead-animal-eaters and non-dead-animal-eaters alike.
B12 is created by bacteria in soil. However, most of today’s produce is so over-cleaned that all naturally occurring B12 is completely nonexistent by the time we put the fresh veggies and fruits into our mouths. Therefore, most humans acquire B12 from the dead animals or animal products that they consume. The animals have eaten grass with the bacteria on it, and therefore carry the B12-creating bacteria in their rotting bodies.
So, vegans could possibly go outside an eat a handful of soil everyday to try to meet their B12 requirements. That is definitely the way to go. (NOT)
Seriously, though, all vegans need to make sure that they either take a B12 supplement a few times each week, or obtain adequate B12 from fortified sources such as non-dairy milks and cereals.
This is nothing to joke over, and it definitely isn’t something that you should overlook as a vegan, vegetarian, or meat-eater. Check with your doctor to make sure that you are obtaining appropriate levels of B12.
I personally take vitamin B12 in the form of Black Bear Energy Spray. But that’s just me.
-A.J.
