Why do people believe that as soon as a person becomes vegan they will be B12 deficient?

Question

Why do people believe that as soon as a person becomes vegan they will be B12 deficient?

Answer 1

i'm willing to bet that over 95% of ALL people don't ever think about b12 or even know what b12 is.

so that leaves you some people who have bogus info and some people who do not.

so some people with bogus info think a vegan becomes b12 deficient.

but i'll bet 95% of all people who aren't a vegan think a vegan becomes protein deficient quickly because everyone has the protein myth pounded into their heads

Answer 2

I don't believe anyone thinks it's "as soon" as they become vegan but the consensus (even amongst vegans) seems to be that it is impossible to obtain B12 without eating meat or animal products UNLESS fortified foods or supplements are consumed.



Therefore, a person following a purely vegan diet WITHOUT the supplements or fortified foods is likely, over time, to be deficient in B12.

Answer 3

It might have something to do with the fact that a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that of the 147 vegans studied in Germany and the Netherlands found that 92% of vegans were deficient in b12. Without modern supplements and fortified food (which you get if you buy commercial food) a vegan diet isn't healthy long term.

Answer 4

"Why do people believe that as soon as a person becomes vegan they will be B12 deficient?



I don't why some people believe that as soon as someone becomes a vegan or vegetarian they will be deficient in vitamin B12, other than they're not knowledgeable about vegans or even vegetarians. Over time if vegans, or vegetarians don't supplement, or eat foods that are fortified then they will become deficient. But MOST of them know enough, to eat foods that are fortified, or to take supplements. However with teens especially those who become vegetarian or vegan, are at higher risk.



The only real premise I can see for such a claim, are in countries like China, India, other Asian countries, Mexico, some African, and South American countries, where there is such a premise for that claim. However a vitamin B12 deficiency, is more common than widely believed, and not just among vegans and vegetarians, but also among those of us who eat meat as well. However even many non vegans, and non vegetarians, are deficient in vitamin B12, in not just the areas I mentioned, but in modern developed countries as well.



Now I'm going to likely step on some of my fellow omnitarians toes, but IF I'm going to be honest about things it's going to happen. I've said it in the past, and I'll stand my ground here also on meat. Not all meats are nearly quite as nutritious, as some commonly believe. Now liver is high in vitamin B12, I won't give, or take any arguments there. One ounce, a mere twenty eight grams of liver, delivers far more nutrition, than other types of meat from land animals, ounce for ounce.



As for fish, and seafood, not all of it, as high in vitamin B12 as some may think or believe it is for example it would take just over five hundred grams of cod, or slightly more than one pound, to meet the daily requirement for vitamin B12. As far as dairy milk goes, and specifically from cattle, it doesn't matter that much whether it's whole milk, or skim milk, one needs a slightly more than five eight ounce servings to get the day's recommended value of vitamin B12. Nor are many types of cheese, all that high in vitamin B12.



A vegan that supplements, and/or eats fortified foods with B12, is NOT going to be deficient in vitamin B12. So in the end, omnitarians need to be just as concerned, over being deficient vitamin B12, as vegetarians and vegans. especially if they're seniors, like myself, or taking certain medications, such as omeprazole, the generic name for Prilosec, Omesec, which are vitamin B12 inhibitors.

Answer 5

B12 is found in meat, not plants. ( And some bacteria found in dirt, but you can't eat dirt ) Vegan-ism wasn't even possible until the 1940's when supplements became commercially available, and most of the B12 supplements were derivative of animal products ( most still are )

Answer 6

You don't become deficient immediately but you cannot get B12 from plant sources. Its only in fortified foods and animal products.

Answer 7

Probably because it is common for vegans to take a B12 supplement.

Answer 8

I don't know. I'm a vegan. My multivitamins (just like most multis) have more than enough of the Bs. My soy milk is fortified with Bs. So is my cereal.

I guess if you were a vegan and didn't take a supplement, drink soy milk, and avoided all processed foods you would be at risk. And I bet there are a few of those.

Answer 9

I don't think it's as soon as they become vegan, but they do run a risk. Items such as milk, liver, cheese, and fish are high in B12, but as a vegan they are part of the dietary restrictions, so they aren't an option. I'm vegetarian not vegan, but I still take B12 supplements to make sure I'm getting enough of it.

Answer 10

Because they won't get any b12 from the only source you can get it from.