B-12 An Update

[Krayton]

Jack Norris runs a Vegan Health site which I watch and respect. I generally agree with his evidence based approach to vegan health issues. Regarding Vitamin B-12, obviously this is the leading vegan health question. Have seen a lot in the literature about sea vegetables and reliable vegan b-12 sources. here is Jack's take.

http://www.veganhealth.org/b12/plant#seaweeds

[Mary Kay]

Thanks for sharing....funny, but I have never heard of Jack Norris, and I kept picturing Chuck Norris! LOL

This article made my head spin. My head is going to explode after reading it!

In summary though, he is saying not to rely on organic vegan sources for your B12. Even the ones we thought like nori and E3 Live?

The raw nori didn't do much for the B12, but the non-raw stuff actually lowered B12.

Am I right? Maybe it'll take five or six people to figure out what he's saying. LOL

Thanks so much for sharing. I like to know the science behind our nutrition.

Mary Kay

[Green_Woman]

Alissa has a whole page devoted on here to various articles and debates on B-12 that I discovered after my initial question last week on the topic... I can tell you I am personally feeling 100% BETTER after I started eating lots of sea veggies daily, drinking my Kombucha at least every other day, and ESPECIALLY taking my RAW B-12 supplement pills ever morning that my fiance bought for me!!!

Whether it's one or the other that "does the trick" is irrelevant to me unless I get to the point where budget concerns force me to choose between... then I will have to narrow it down. But for now, it's the whole package that's working - and I'm one HAPPY, RAW girl!!!

[Green_Woman]

Here, I found Alissa's info: B12... facts and fiction. (http://rawfoodtalk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=17)

[Mary Kay]

Green Woman,

The shotgun approach, eh?

LOL, I'm the same way!

No time to check that out now, but will def go check it out.

Thanks for finding it!

Mary Kay

[Mary Kay]

Actually, I do remember reading that article, now that I think about it!

I'll go check it out again though.

Mary Kay

[Krayton]

Thanks for sharing....funny, but I have never heard of Jack Norris, and I kept picturing Chuck Norris! LOL

This article made my head spin. My head is going to explode after reading it!

In summary though, he is saying not to rely on organic vegan sources for your B12. Even the ones we thought like nori and E3 Live?

The raw nori didn't do much for the B12, but the non-raw stuff actually lowered B12.

Am I right? Maybe it'll take five or six people to figure out what he's saying. LOL

Thanks so much for sharing. I like to know the science behind our nutrition.

Mary Kay

I agree Jack's writing is pretty complex. I think the main point he is trying to make is that sea vegetables are not reliable sources for B-12 because they cannot lower Methyl Malonic Acid which active B-12 does. In another article he distinguishes between tests for the presence of B-12 and B-12 activity. It's important because of false positives when B-12 analogues are there. I added the article because I like evidence based approaches to health issues. Another book I bought many years ago "Becoming Vegan" by Brenda David and Vesanto Melina did a great job of presenting balanced vegan health issues. And they have now co-authored "Raw Food Revolution" with Cherie Soria from the Living Light Institute.

For my own B-12, I'm using Red Star nutritional yeast and a vegan supplement. I want to get a living food source though. Luckily, I just finished a book by Ruthann Russo called The Raw Food Lifestyle which mentions a living food supplement (vegan) of Vitamin B complex called Nano Complex by Premier Research Labs. http://www.naturalhealthyconcepts.com/max-stress-b-2oz-p-premier-research.html. I like the fact that it is living rather than synthetic. :)

Paul

[Green_Woman]

Paul - I am currently using Vitamin Code, a RAW B-complex by Garden of Life... because I had developed a B12 deficiency PRIOR to going RAW, it is my plan to eventually wean myself off this particular supplement entirely...!