Pitfalls of Adopting A Vegetarian, Vegan, or Raw Diet and How to Avoid them

1. Pitfalls of Adopting A Vegetarian, Vegan, or Raw Diet and How to Avoid them Part 3 of 5

2. Vitamin B12The Gorilla in the Room • *All persons following a plant-based diet need to take a vitamin B12 supplement. • B12 Needed for Cell Division • Formation of healthy RBCs (Red Blood Cells) • Produce myelin (the protective sheath around nerve fibers) • Deficiency • Can result in nerve damage

3. Vitamin B12The Gorilla in the Room • Scientific Name of B12: • Cobalamin • Contains the mineral cobalt at the center of its structure • Commercial preparations (use in supplements) • Called cyanocobalamin (converted to B12 in the body)

4. Vitamin B12The Gorilla in the Room • Other version f B12 • Methlycoloblamin • Does not require conversion • Stability is questionable • Must contain higher amounts of B12 • Plant sources of B12 • All B12 is made by bacteria • Including bacteria in human and animal digestive guts • Bacteria is too far down to be utilize by the body

5. Vitamin B12The Gorilla in the Room • Plant Sources of B12 • Inactive B12 analogous • Similar to B12 • Does not have vitamin activity • Not the true B12 • Can actually block the activity of true Vitamin B12 • Can be found in foods like • Fermented soy products • Sour dough bread • Sea vegetables

6. Vitamin B12The Gorilla in the Room • Most humans get B12 via animal products • Humans evolve to get pretty low intakes of vitamin B12 • Can store very large amounts of B12 in our liver. Up to 3 years to prevent deficiency • Not everyone has 3 years worth of B12 stored up. Depends on diet before plant-based

7. Vitamin B12The Gorilla in the Room • Deficiency • Overt deficiency occurs when B12 levels drop to near zero. • Megaloblastic anemia • Inhibition of DNA syntheses during RBC production(its bad) • Is reversible with B12 therapy • Some times B12 is masked by folate or folic acid • Folate will not prevent nerve damage • Can start with tingling of hands and feet.

8. Vitamin B12The Gorilla in the Room • Deficiency (cont.) • If B12 intake is low and Folate (found in , , intake is high, B12 deficiency can go unnoticed until an a more advance stage. • When B12 levels in blood drops, Homocysteine level rise. • Homocysteine • May damage blood vessels, increase risk of stroke, and early death • Deficiency (cont.) • If B12 intake is low and Folate (found in , , intake is high, B12 deficiency can go unnoticed until an a more advance stage. • When B12 levels in blood drops, Homocysteine level rise.

9. Vitamin B12The Gorilla in the Room • Plant-Based Advantage: • No matter what diet a person follows as the age the amount of stomach acid produced declines. • Meaning: The ability to absorb B12 found naturally in foods declines. • B12 in animal foods is bound to protein meaning the ability to get B12 from those founds declines due with age. • Meaning the B12 in supplements and fortified foods is not bound to protein and more easily absorb as we get older.

10. Vitamin B12The Gorilla in the Room • Meeting B12 Needs: • Supplements need to be chewable or sublingual (dissolve under the tongue) • *Research shows swallowed B12 tablets are not well absorbed. • Body is used to getting tiny amounts of B12 here and there throughout the day. • When confronted with a big dose the body only absorbs a tiny amount and rest is lost through urine if B12 stores are adequate.

11. Vitamin B12The Gorilla in the Room • Meeting B12 Needs (cont.) • If taking a B12 supplement infrequently • Need rather large amount to get enough • If taking a daily dose you need around 25 – 100 micrograms • If supplementing 2 or 3 times a week you needs much as 1000 micrograms each time • On a Plant-Base Diet (75% - 100% Plants): • Consume 2/day of fortified foods containing (-or-) • Taking a daily supplement of 25 – 100 micrograms • Take a supplement of 1000 micrograms 3 or more times a week.

12. Vitamin B12The Gorilla in the Room • Foods fortified with B12 (RDA is 2.4 micrograms)

13. Vitamin B12The Gorilla in the Room • B12 Facts • B12 Supplements come from bacteria cultures not animals products • Pills should be chewed or allowed to dissolve under the tongue • Seaweed, Brewer’s Yeast, Tempeh, or “Living” vitamin supplements sourced from plants do not contain active B12 • Neither rain water or organically grown , unwashed vegetables is not a reliable source of B12.

14. Vitamin B12The Gorilla in the Room • Videos: • http://nutritionfacts.org/video/vegan-epidemic/ • http://nutritionfacts.org/video/vitamin-b12-recommendation-change/ • http://nutritionfacts.org/video/safest-source-of-b12/

15. Raw Diets • What is it? • A plant-based diet that involves no cooking • No food is heated above 104 degrees Fahrenheit • Foods are eaten fresh, dehydrated with low heat or fermented. • Pro’s • High in folate, calcium, beta carotene, Vitamin A and C, antioxidants, potassium, phytonutrients, rehydrating, and fiber, omega-3’s /Vitamin E(if certain nuts or flax or chia seed is taken daily), low in sodium.

16. Raw Diets • Things to consider: • Protein • Iron • Low in B Vitamins • Selenium • Zinc • Magnesium and iodine • Can be high in fat • Have to eat a lot  to maintain weight (depending activity level) • Must supplement with • B12