Vitamin B12 is crucial for red blood cell production, but is only found in a few sources, mainly red meat, eggs, and milk. Vegans and vegetarians may struggle to get enough B12 and should consider supplementation. Low B12 levels can cause anemia and other symptoms.
Vitamin B12 is an important substance, but it is only available, apart from supplements, from a few sources. Without sufficient levels of this vitamin, problems can occur. People can become anemic because B12 is needed to make red blood cells, although pernicious anemia should be understood as a different symptom that makes it difficult for the body to absorb the vitamin. Those who have the most trouble with sources of vitamin B12 are people who are vegan vegetarians, as their diets may be completely absent of the main foods that give people a steady supply of vitamin B12.
Most people get an adequate supply from the main sources of vitamin B12. Red meat is a main source, and in this way, the body absorbs a large amount of the vitamin. The other two common sources of vitamin B12 are eggs and milk. It’s easy to see how a vegan diet is missing from any of these products. Vegetarians who consume milk and eggs can still get adequate amounts because they have access to two main sources of vitamin B12.
An additional way to find sources of vitamin B12 is to look for products that supplement with it. This is not always helpful. When in a natural source, a vitamin can be easily absorbed by the body. In other foods, as a supplement, it may not always be used as successfully. It’s also worth noting that people with B12 insufficiency may not know it, or have lab tests to prove it accurately, if folic acid is taken concurrently, and many supplements or products that complement each other contain a large selection of B vitamins and folic acid. .
If the diet lacks the usual sources of vitamin B12, it is still generally accepted that supplementation is important. These are many, and given the importance of the vitamin, even most doctors may have recommendations on what to take. In general, B12 is fairly well absorbed in supplement form, so people will have a wide variety of supplements to choose from. They can also find completely vegan supplements, if abstaining from meat is a conscientious choice or necessity.
If there are potential signs of anemia, doctors may check vitamin B12 levels to determine if a supplement dose is high enough. Vegetarians who rarely eat any kind of meat by-product, and vegans may be wise to have levels checked occasionally. Without proper levels, people have complained of gastrointestinal upset, tiredness, irregular mood, and other symptoms. Even a B12 level that falls into the low normal range should be considered as a potential indication to supplement if people have other unexplained conditions.
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