Do vegans need to
take vitamin B 12
What is Vitamin B12?
Vitamin B12 is known as cobalamin. It is has the largest and
most complex chemical structure of all vitamins. It consists of a corrin ring
with cobalt at its core, hence the name
Significance of
vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is significant in the ordinary functioning of
the nervous system and brain, in addition to the metabolism of the cell, fatty
acid, amino acid, and the regulation and synthesis of DNA.
Sources of Vitamin B12
for Vegans
Vitamin B12 is produced mainly by bacteria and thus animals
do not produce it on their own. Therefore
foods planted in soils rich with the bacteria will automatically have more B12
on their surface. Meaning foods that are richer in B12 are those that are
organically grown.
Fresh garden vegetables, mostly root vegetables which are
not peeled or excessively scrubbed will contain little amounts of B12 on their
surface. Boiling such vegetables and
then discarding the water results to loss of vitamin B12. However, plants with
root nodules will retain the B12 (if present) in the rhizobium bacteria. (Victor Herbert)
A basic but significant recommendation is to properly chew food
and allow some hours before any next meal in order to aid in absorption. Saliva
contains r-binders that hold vitamin B12 in the food for sufficient time till
it arrives in the small intestines for absorption. (Fleming, 1978)
The colon produces vitamin B12 in large amounts that is 5.0
micrograms per day, though it appears that it is not absorbed through the colon
walls. However, the B12 can be absorbed by the small intestine and as a matter
of fact some bacteria that produce B12 are found there. There is a possibility
that the vegan physiology permits a further quick absorption, than is supposedly
expected. After all it is commonly known
that the ability of the people to absorb a lot of nutrients increases with one’s
need for them.
According to the National Research Council, you should take
3 micrograms per day to achieve your body needs. Victor Herbert, who perhaps has done the most
extensive research on B12, recommends 1 microgram and approximates the actual requisite
of absorbed B12 to be 0.1 microgram per day. Therefore, the NRC intake is
practically six to thirty times more than our actual need.
The actual amount of vitamin B12 needed by the body is extremely
small and the recommendation of NRC is obviously more than your body needs, perhaps
this is due to concerns for a safety margin, the problem of measurements for
small quantities of B12, and the resulting valuation of the amount of B12
necessary for human beings.
Conclusion
It remains a fact that your body needs very little amount of
B12 and it can store it for three to five years. Thus, it is not necessary to have a daily intake
of vitamin B12. One other fact is that scientists are not aware of the minimal
levels of B12 that is contained in our food because there is currently no
sufficient and sensitive evaluation for very small amounts of vitamin B12.
