[hugosmoma]

hey. my b12 levels just came back real low: 182. my vit d levels are scary: 5.8. i eat closer to vegan than vegetarian, but i do eat a few eggs a week, and don't read labels closely. anyway, i am wondering if anyone else has ever come up low on the b12. i am taking a vit finally

 

[cathe]

Here's some info that might be of use--particularly eating cultured foods to help make use of what you are getting from your vitamin:

Vitamin B12 is vital for formation and growth of red blood cells. It is also important for the growth of your baby's nervous system; however, it is one of the most commonly deficient vitamins during pregnancy and lactation, especially among vegans. Vitamin B12 is found only in animal products but vegans can get vitamin B12 from fortified nutritional yeast like Red Star® Vegetarian Support Formula, nondairy milks, and cereals. You can also obtain vitamin B12 from supplements. Eating fermented or cultured foods (like yogurt, sauerkraut, miso, etc.) helps maximize the reproduction of vitamin B12 in the digestive tract.

Good sources of vitamin B12: Dairy products, eggs, fortified cereals, fortified nutritional yeast, fortified soy milk

 

[hugosmoma]

thank you!

 

[oceane]

take a supplement! and be aware that taking a large amount of b12 at once lowers absorption. so spread the fortified foods out over the day and add the supplement to that. (there's also fortified juices, for example).

 

[veganf]

I've heard sublingual or nasal spray forms of B12 are the most easily absorbed.
As for vit. D, get outside, a lot! And fortified foods can't hurt either.

 

[cathe]

O.T. Nice blog, Veganf!

 

[veganf]

Many thanks Cathe!

 

[wendyland]

Spirulina has a lot of B12. It's really good to take if you're veg.

 

[ihugtrees]

My levels were the same as yours, but I'd apparently had the deficiency for a long time. At first, it will cause depression and lack of energy. But left for awhile, a B12 deficiency will cause neurological symptoms, then damage. I actually was losing sight in one eye, and that eye was droopy as if I had a stroke...if I looked up or down I would get blurred/double vision...I was also losing all the strength in my body and falling down, almost going unconscious. It was pretty scary. So MAKE SURE YOU TAKE YOUR VITAMIN! Get retested in 6 or 8 weeks, to be sure it was a deficiency and not a problem with absorption (absorption problems are really common and most people dont know until years later when they start having symptoms like mine.)

 

[hugosmoma]

thank you so so much for responding. i am having problems with my vision, the blurriness and faintness is what finally pushed me over the edge to going to the doc. i have a history with depression/chronic fatigue. i knew there was real underlying problem when i became very physically active, lost 30 pounds, and did yoga five times a week, along with a super steller diet, but felt even worse!

please tell me, did you find you had an absorbtion problem or an underlying problem that was causing your low levels?

i am so glad you shared this with me. please tell me what ever you can about your experience.

oh, and did your vitamins help you feel better? and how long did it take if so? i have been on supplements for three weeks, but still feel bad. and the vit d makes me feel weird.

 

[ihugtrees]

When I consistently take the vitamin, I have felt quite a bit better. No more vision problems, although I get occasional double vision. However, I still have the weakness spells. It's so strange--out of nowhere, I will all of the sudden feel really, really drunk, like my head is not attached to my body, and like I just have NO strength. Can't even keep my head up or my eyes open. I've fallen to the ground several times, even during my pregnancy

This is only happening once every few weeks, usually after a lot of exertion, instead of previous to the vitamins, when I was having these spells multiple times a day. Because of me still having problems, my current doc says I need to get tested again, told me about the absorption, etc. I will be doing this the week after Christmas, as I have to get about a million vials of blood drawn for my prenatal testing that week any way. When I started taking the vitamins, it took a few weeks before I stopped having daily spells.

If you lack intrinsic factor (have absorption problems) then all you have to do is get the B12 injection. This is supposed to solve the problem.

Luckily B12 is common and relatively easy to treat!

 

[battymama]

The vit b12 in spirulina is not obsorbed be the body, it is a slightly different type, and can actually block obsorbsion of b12. It is still really good for you though, just dont rely on it for that.