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B12

charliegirlcharliegirl
in Being Raw

I have a question, if we need to add B12 to our diet, then how does the people who live to be 100 to 120 over in Africa get B12? They have never heard about B12.

I have taken B12 shots once a month for years, that is the only way I can take it and even then I break out a little. I am allgeric to corn, soy and gluten (Celiac Disease) so I can't take tablet form, even the ones that say corn free has some it. Corn and gluten have many names.

So, if I have to stop the shots, what am I going to do? Am I going to die?

Thanks

Comments

  • charliegirlcharliegirl

    Forgot to say the tribes that eat nothing but fruit, veggies and nuts. Whatever is grown on the land is what they eat.

  • eechoeecho Raw Newbie

    I am not sure exactly about these tribes, but I think it would be reasonable to compare with a monkey diet, which is mostly "raw vegan". When they eat food it still has fresh soil on it, along with many insects most likely. This would supplement their diet with B12. Chimpanzees do become canabalistic in case of famine, but not regularly enough to get enough B12 from the meat I don't think. They get it from organisms in the soil and insects.

    Also, I am not sure if human beings are capable of producing their own B12, just as animals do, given sufficiently healthy intestinal flora. I don't take any B12 suppliements yet (after 1.5 years raw), and assume this to be the case for now, until I get some bloodwork done.

  • veganloveveganlove

    do you have intrinsic anemia? if so, having the shots will probably be the only way your body can absorb B12, I wouldn't go off of them, their very vital, and if you do indeed have this, not having the B12 can be fatal, you have also been on them for a long time, you should just stay on them since they seem to be working, I think it's your best bet!

  • sisterbeckysisterbecky

    I'm not sure about what tribe you are refering to. I am not aware or any vegan tribe. Are you sure that they do not eat meat? Also, if vegetables and fruits come in contact with feces because of unsanitary conditions, they are more likely to have vitamin B-12 (but also likely to have other problems as well from lack of sanitation).

    We make B-12, but farther along in our intestines past where we are usually able to absorb it (and benefit from it).

    Please don't take this as a snarky comment, but are you sure that your info about 120 yr old tribal people who are vegan being accurate? There is a lot of unsubstantiated stuff floating around out in the internet.

    Vegan outreach site has some excellent (and respectable) articles about B-12. B-12 deficiency is not ONLY a vegan concern. Many dairy and meat eaters have deficiencies as well (because of absorbency problems).

    There are supplements that are not shots too.

    I would be very leery about raw vegan tribal claims.

  • sisterbeckysisterbecky

    Sorry Charliemum, you mentioned why "shots" in your post. Getting your B-12 is very important. Please don't stop the shots unless you are sure it's safe. Do you feel better after a shot? Just curious. My mother use to get them, and insisted that she could feel the difference when she didn't.

    And, by the way, she eats dairy and meat. (not only a vegan issue!)

  • TerilynTerilyn

    I live in Africa and have travelled around the continent a lot. Most of the indigenous tribes do NOT live off fruit, veg and nuts, in fact I have yet to encounter one that does. The bulk of their consumption is actually animal - blood, meat, milk, tripe, etc. - so I don't know where you're getting this information from!

    As far as Africans living over 100 - well, just because they look ancient doesn't mean they are. Indigenous tribes lead a physically demanding life and that, combined with the sun and their diet takes its toll of their bodies, often making them look older than they really are. I once asked a Maasai elder his age, thinking him to be creeping in the 90s and he was only roughly 70-something.

    Trust me on this one - even if you're reading African obituaries, they are NOT 113. There is no formal birth records in rural communities and therefore a lot of these ages are really, really rough estimates. If you believed the obits, Africans apparently live until their well into their 180s!

    This doesn't solve your B12 issue of course, but hopefully puts to bed all this weird misconception.

  • bosonHavocbosonHavoc

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_B12

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