2 ms·

Not questioning this, but curious if you can explain more. Why can't you just do one or many of: Taking a B12 supplement, eating fortified food (american break

by latch 9y ago

Not questioning this, but curious if you can explain more. Why can't you just do one or many of: Taking a B12 supplement, eating fortified food (american breakfast cereals often have B12, especially the "healthier" options (plain cheerios, corn flakes, nut grapes, ...), nutritional yeast, ....), eating eggs? You mentioned lactose intolerance, but since you aren't really bothered by it, I assume cheese and possibly yogurt are absolutely no problem. I guess my question is why can't you. What is it about a natural b12 deficiency that makes it so the normal vegan or vegetarian options aren't sufficient?

52-6F-62 9y ago
I should have added that it's more complex than a simple low-B12. My blood work results have regularly shown low hemoglobin. It causes a lot of issues like inability to catch my breath, fatigue, and weakness as well as a foggy mind. The diagnosis was an Iron/B12 deficiency which is, IIRC, correlated. I don't have a ton of detail, myself. I had no leanings toward become a vegetarian so I didn't question his orders there. (edit: it's not completely related, but I'll note that my younger brother is vegetarian as his wife is vegan and he's as large as I am—maybe larger—and does just fine without poultry, red meat, or fish. Luck of the draw, it seems). I'm certainly not saying there are no routes to surviving well as a vegetarian maintaining some form of anemia or other B12/Iron deficiency, but I'm assuming his direction was that due to its proven concentration. I actually increased my diet of eggs, spinach, I'd long taken a cyanocobalamin orally daily before switching to a higher dose of methylcobalamin sublingual dose, and started eating yogurt. I try and avoid an excess of cheese and grains because I simply don't need that much in the way of fats and carbohydrates in my current regimen. Nutrition is complex, and I think it's generally accepted that acquiring nutrients through digestion is more reliable than supplementation. (so that I'm not saying this completely out of my ass, [0] [1]) [0] https://www.nature.com/news/nutrition-vitamins-on-trial-1.15459 https://www.nature.com/news/nutrition-vitamins-on-trial-1.15... [1] https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fact-or-fiction-vitamin-supplements-improve-health/ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fact-or-fiction-v...

by latch 9y ago

52-6F-62 9y ago

I should have added that it's more complex than a simple low-B12. My blood work results have regularly shown low hemoglobin. It causes a lot of issues like inability to catch my breath, fatigue, and weakness as well as a foggy mind. The diagnosis was an Iron/B12 deficiency which is, IIRC, correlated. I don't have a ton of detail, myself. I had no leanings toward become a vegetarian so I didn't question his orders there. (edit: it's not completely related, but I'll note that my younger brother is vegetarian as his wife is vegan and he's as large as I am—maybe larger—and does just fine without poultry, red meat, or fish. Luck of the draw, it seems). I'm certainly not saying there are no routes to surviving well as a vegetarian maintaining some form of anemia or other B12/Iron deficiency, but I'm assuming his direction was that due to its proven concentration. I actually increased my diet of eggs, spinach, I'd long taken a cyanocobalamin orally daily before switching to a higher dose of methylcobalamin sublingual dose, and started eating yogurt. I try and avoid an excess of cheese and grains because I simply don't need that much in the way of fats and carbohydrates in my current regimen. Nutrition is complex, and I think it's generally accepted that acquiring nutrients through digestion is more reliable than supplementation. (so that I'm not saying this completely out of my ass, [0] [1]) [0] https://www.nature.com/news/nutrition-vitamins-on-trial-1.15459 https://www.nature.com/news/nutrition-vitamins-on-trial-1.15... [1] https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fact-or-fiction-vitamin-supplements-improve-health/ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fact-or-fiction-v...