New vegan, b12 doubt
Hello,
first of all, i want to say that I'm Spanish, so I will write some mistakes. Sorry for that. My name is Yeray and I live in Canary Islands. I'm writting here because i have the feeling that it is a very interesting web, with very interesting people. So here I am.
I have been vegetarian for five years now, and I'm feeling that's now is the moment to change into a vegan life, but i don't know how to do it with the b12 vitamin. There is so much contradictory information that i'm lost in it. Would any of you help me with that?
If I can avoid it, I prefer not to eat supplements but I don't know if it is a possibility at all.
Thank you very much.
I have had to edit this, cause I can't see the "word to confirm that I'm human" box.
Thanks for your reply Naturebound :)
I found an option: the "nutritional yeast". It's difficult to find here in Spain, but I will buy it in amazon or something like that. The fortified foods aren't easy to find here either (don't ask me why, I myself don't understand, but it could be another option)
Thanks again for replying :)
If you prefer no supplements, you can often find soymilk and other vegan fortified foods with B12 in them. Otherwise, the few plant foods that have naturally occuring B12 in them are not very reliable sources. I take a supplement in sublingual form and due to the high dosage only take it two times a week. I am three years vegan and doing just fine, and I only have to buy a new bottle of B12 every six months or so so it is no big deal. When I was an omnivore I took vitamin D due to lack of sun in the winter where I live. Most people up here do as that is hard to get in any food. This isn't any different. Also, keep in mind that as a vegetarian your sources of B12 are also limited. Eggs and dairy really don't have a ton of B12 in them and you would have to eat a lot of it to get your requirement of b12 needs met, unless the products are fortified. I know two omnivores and one vegetarian who have to take B12 shots due to a deficiency in B12 but it's more for absorption reasons. Most animal foods with B12 are difficult to absorb as one gets older. Meat is hard to digest anyway. There is nothing wrong with supplementing to cover your needs. Not getting B12 at all has far worse consequences.