Vegan help

[MIND POWER]

Originally Posted by Everly

I am well aware of that, Mind Power. I've been vegan for almost 25 years and have researched the B12 issue far more than I care to think about. My point -- my only point -- was that B12 supplementation is not something people need because they're vegan. They may need B12, but it's not because of being vegan.

Fair play.

[AngelFairy]

Originally Posted by Everly

Myth. Myth that just won't go away.

While it's true that everyone needs B12, not just vegans, B12 deficiency is exceedingly rare and is nearly always due to malabsorption. Some people, vegan or not, may need B12 supplementation, but it's an individual issue, not a global one for vegans.

I'm a new vegan and for some reason people always mention B12 and how important it is for that diet. I wonder why?

Originally Posted by AngelFairy

I'm a new vegan and for some reason people always mention B12 and how important it is for that diet. I wonder why?

...Because it was believed at one time that we could only get B12 through consuming animals. The logical conclusion from that was that we naturally had a B12 deficiency. We now know that's not true.

I'm generally in favor of supplementation, but not because I'm vegan. I think all food is depleted of energy and nutritive value. And there's the issue of toxic chemicals (and "medicines") on and in food, as well as in the air and in our water. Supplementation can supply necessary nutrients as well as help our bodies get rid of the chemicals, regardless of diet or lifestyle.

If we vegans want to supplement B12, that's fine. But we should do it for overall health, not because we're vegan and can't get it from our foods.