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B12 has been used as an argument against vegetarian diets for a long time. The fact is that many meat and dairy eaters are also B12 deficient. Antibiotics in mainly animal foods disturb the production of ‘Intrinsic Factor’ in our stomach. B12 must bind with ‘Intrinsic Factor’ before it can enter our system. Any Doctor will tell you that B12 deficiency is common now among the elderly, no matter their diet.
B12 may not be an issue. Many long term Purely Raw Vegans are not B12 deficient. ‘Storm’ from ‘The Garden Diet’ http://www.thegardendiet.com always says “Cows are Vegan, where do they get their B12 from, Grass?” He has been Raw for 30 years. He and his whole family are Raw Vegan and supplement free. They get regular check-ups and tests. They are in perfect health.
If we were living close to nature and participating correctly in the eco system B12 would be a natural part of our diet. Our food would grow wild, and every trip to the ‘toilet’ [behind a bush] would plant more food.
We would be leaving pre-fertilized seeds everywhere. These naturally planted foods would be complete with B12, which is produced by our bodies in our lower intestine. more on B12 here… http://www.purelyraw.com/superfoods.htm
We humans have much more to fix than just our diet. Our very way of life causes us problems that we may not see.
Next question you will get Cole is… “What about our Canine teeth?”
Cows have 4 stomachs. It would be more useful to compare a human to say a pig, dog, or monkey. who all have much more similar dietary requirements.
Vegan mothers who don’t supplement b12 have a higher incidence of babies with neurological problems due to b12 deficiency. pub med link (type in ‘vegan mother b12’).
Even Gabriel Cousens strongly recommends b12. Gabriel b12 article link
To quote from the article—
“Consistent research over the last decade has shown that vegans and live food people of all ages and sexes have a much higher risk of becoming B-12 deficient. This does not mean that everyone becomes B- 12 deficient. This deficiency is particularly true with newborn babies, especially babies of vegan live-food nursing mothers who are not using B-12 supplementation.”
Gabriel also goes on to site some specific raw fooder studies—
“A study in 1982 by Dunn and Scott of raw food vegans with 83 subjects from the Natural Hygiene Society showed that 92% of the vegans had a B-12 less than 200 pg., and in 53% it was less than 100 pg. The World Health Organization (WHO) considers B-12 deficiency to be less than 200 pg”
B12 deficiency is easy to test for. The test is called a MMA or Methylmalonic Acid test of the urine. In the UK, it costs only
i agree with chriscarlton, I have seen Storm’s breakthrough documentary and was just astounded at how vibrant the entire family was. Especially the children, who were born and raised on a vegan diet – did not appear to have any neurological problems, in fact, they seemed very intelligent for their ages. however, storm’s family is atypical in the sense that they grow their own food, which might explain where they’re getting their b12 from. This encourages me to havea garden when I have a backyard for it :o)
Some say there is B12 in plant source. Comfrey & Alfalfa. Plus, brushing your tongue in the morning (without toothpaste and before eating) “creates” B12. But, I do not have a reliable, scientific source for this. It’s just something I’ve heard or read about. Here’s the link to the forum
Wow, thank you for the responses. Great sites, and very helpful discussion. Cheers!