Vitamin B12. Where can I get it and is there a drawback? Methylcobalamin (vitamin B12): important properties and deficiency symptoms Do raw foodists suffer from B12 deficiency

This 2013 article has lost its relevance, read the most relevant articles about B12, and. Be sure to read! And here is what I thought about B12 earlier in 2013:

The topic of the lack of B12 on fruitarianism and raw foodism, as it was relevant before, remains so to this day. I notice that there are only a few raw foodists who are not yet taking this vitamin. You meet some raw foodists with a long experience, you think that they are moving in the same direction as you, and they eat almost the same amount of raw foodists, but then you find out that they also take B12 ... some intramuscularly, some in tablets ...

My opinion on this matter is that people do not understand that they were simply IMPONSED with information about the lack of B12 and that otherwise they will have huge problems, neurological injuries and much more, and that it will be too late to change anything. However, not a single raw foodist and fruitarian has ever experienced anything like this. At first, for a long time I could not understand, so why is everyone so worried about the lack of B12, why does no one talk about what problems he personally had because of this, but now everything has become clear to me - people are starting to take B12 because of fear. The brains are washed too strongly and qualitatively. And to everyone, all over the world - both to Russian raw foodists and foreigners, to everyone who is spinning in this area. After all, more and more raw foodists and fruit eaters appear in the world, and as a result of this, losses appear for superiors, because such people do not need anything other than fruit, and sometimes they also need to buy clothes. And they wanted to spit on all their pills, as well as on all medicine. So, the superiors (or whatever they are called) came up with a wonderful way to earn extra money on raw foodists - to impose on them an inevitable shortage of B12 and terrible consequences, as a result of which they all rush to buy B12-containing substances. It seems like it's a trifle, that they are something inexpensive. But now think about how many people around the world are buying them!! And each such raw foodist takes B12 once a week, or even 2 times a week. A wonderful approach, B12 is being actively dismantled! This will be enough for the superiors for some years, until people wake up and understand how they were cruelly deceived, but by that time something else will be invented, and people will start buying this as well. And so on until they start to globally move their brains.

And .. all raw foodists do not even understand that they have been brainwashed, because they do tests and see with their own eyes that they have a lack of B12. Although no one thinks about what these standards are ... are they true ... by whom they are established ... for whom ... People run to buy B12 and take it, to be treated for a non-existent problem, to make up for what is not needed, so to speak. It amuses me how, when asked if they felt a lack of B12, if they have any symptoms, they answer that no, they didn’t feel anything, but that when they feel it, God forbid, it will be too late. You feel? Do you feel how people are trying to get rid of a non-existent problem that has been imposed on them? It’s also good if people answer like this, otherwise many are generally lost, don’t know what to answer and disappear from the air.

Personally, I completely trust nature and the Creator (you don’t have to bother and write comments about this word, I already realized that some people don’t like it). If not for this information from medicine, doctors, science, research, etc. that it is necessary to replenish B12 without fail, then a person would never have guessed about it in his life. He would live happily for himself, eat fruit, breathe fresh air, led a natural lifestyle for him and felt perfect. Where would he get drugs for intramuscular injections? And what about B12 pills that need to be put under the tongue? What an absurdity this is ... And I really want people to understand this.

Some information about B12 from Wikipedia: “Neither animals nor plants are able to synthesize vitamin B12. It is the only vitamin synthesized almost exclusively by microorganisms: bacteria, actinomycetes and blue-green algae. Of animal tissues, the liver and kidneys are the richest in vitamin B12. This vitamin is produced by microorganisms in the digestive tract of any animal, including humans, as a product of microflora activity. In the food industry in many countries, the vitamin is added to products such as breakfast cereals, chocolate bars, energy drinks.”

Hope you all will fully awake soon!;)

The REAL reason for the lack of vitamin B12 is detailed.

The discovery of vitamin B12, also known as cyanocobalamin, has cured millions of people. The main feature of this vitamin is its participation in hematopoiesis, it also has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the liver, positively affects the condition nervous system human, cyanocobalamin also reduces the content of harmful cholesterol in the body. Despite the fact that vitamin B12 is produced in the human intestine, its main source is animal food, and it is especially abundant in the liver of animals. By refusing meat and offal, a person loses the possibility of entering the body of cyanocobalamin, and vitamin B12 must be present in the human body with a raw food diet.

How to make up for the lack of vitamin b12 with a raw food diet

Considering the fact that vitamin b12 is involved in many vital processes of the body, its lack has a bad effect on a person, so it makes sense for raw foodists to think about it. Vitamin B12 and a raw food diet is an issue that will have to be addressed first of all by those who want to change their habitual lifestyle and give up cooked foods. traditional ways. In this regard, it should be noted that there are several raw food diet plans, and if you are worried about your health, you should not choose a vegan lifestyle when there is no question of eating meat and other animal products.

A raw food diet and b12 is a question that you must solve for yourself first of all, since it will definitely not work to make up for its lack without meat, as evidenced by the recommendations of health workers. By switching to a raw food diet, many people think that they will quickly get rid of health problems, but this is far from being the case, because in this case you will have to give up not only the usual food, but also the lifestyle that has been formed over the years. Do not forget about this useful properties meat and meat offal, because humanity is unlikely to have survived if there was no meat in the diet of an ancient person.

With the discovery of fire, it became easier for a person to live, but other problems arose due to the fact that the gastrointestinal tract began to work without load, while useful material ceased to be absorbed in the required amount, and the body became more and more slagged. At the same time, vitamin B12 got into the body, anyway, from food of animal origin, and to refuse it is like death. When switching to a raw food diet, you should be aware that when a lack of cyanocobalamin is detected, the body begins to function incorrectly. In particular, metabolic products begin to accumulate in humans, and methylmalonic acid and other toxic substances accumulate in the body.

The accumulation of toxic substances in the human body leads to strokes and other harmful effects, as a result of which toxins begin to accumulate in the body. Adherents of the raw food theory believe that the lack of cyanocobalamin in the body is tolerated normally, but experts believe that vitamin b12 on a raw food diet is the main problem. It cannot be said that a low content of vitamin b12 during a raw food diet is the norm, you just need to take measures in order to replenish the body with cyanocobalamin. Vitamin b12 on a raw food diet is also necessary, as in a normal lifestyle, while not forgetting that a lack of vitamin has a bad effect on the human mucosa, through which most infections enter the body. Experts, in this regard, do not advise abruptly switching to a raw food diet, while it is worth choosing the right raw food diet, giving preference to a scheme that involves the consumption of meat and fish.

(Open Letter to the Association of Vegans and Medical Professionals)

Insufficient intake of vitamin B12 can cause anemia and cause deterioration of the nervous system.

The only reliable vegan sources of B12 are foods that are artificially fortified (including plant-based milk, several soy products, and breakfast cereals) and supplemented with B12. Whatever the source of B12, be it dietary supplements, artificially fortified foods, or animal products, vitamin B12 is produced by microorganisms.

Most vegans get enough B12 to avoid anemia and nervous system deterioration, but many don't get enough to prevent the potential risk of heart disease and complications during pregnancy.

To benefit entirely from a plant-based diet, vegans should follow these guidelines:

1. Eat 2-3 times a day B12-fortified foods that contain at least 3 micrograms of B12 per serving. (Warning: There are very few B12-fortified products on the market in France.)
2. Consume 10 micrograms of B12 daily.
3. Consume 2,000 micrograms of B12 weekly.

If you expect to get B12 exclusively from foods artificially fortified with vitamin B12, then carefully check the information on the label of the products and make sure that the content corresponds to the minimum recommended dose. For example, if plant-based milk contains 1 microgram per serving, then consuming three servings of this milk throughout the day would be sufficient. Many find it more practical and economical to take B12 tablets.

The less often you use B12, the higher the dose you need, small but regular doses are better absorbed. The tips above take this into account. There is no risk from exceeding the recommended doses or from combining the B12 intake methods above.

This message was written by Stephen Walsh, Administrator of the Vegan Society, and other members of the Scientific Committee of the Vegetarian Union Internationale (IVU-SCI) in October 2001. This information may be freely distributed, provided that its integrity is preserved (the list of signatures may be omitted).

Signatures:
Association vegetarienne de France
Ethisch Vegetarisch Alternatief (EVA), Belgique
Farm Animal Rights Movement (FARM)
Manger ensemble, Partenariat éducatif européen
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
Société vegane française
Vegan Action, États-Unis
Vegan Outreach, Etats-Unis
The Vegan Society, Royaume-Uni
Paul Appleby, statisticien medical, Royaume-Uni
Luciana Baroni, M. D., neurologue gériatre, présidente de la Società Scientifica di Nutrizione Vegetariana, Italie
Amanda Benham, R. D., Australie
Dr Glynis Dallas-Chapman, M. B., B. S., Royaume-Uni
Brenda Davis, R. D., coauteure de Becoming Vegan, brendadavisrd.com, B. C., Canada
William Harris, M. D., États-Unis
Alex Hershaft, Ph. D., President de FARM
Michael Greger, M.D., veganmd.org, États-Unis
Stephen R. Kaufman, M. D., États-Unis
Dr Gill Langley, M.A., Ph. D., M. I. Biol., auteur de Vegan Nutrition, Royaume-Uni
Vesanto Melina, M. S., R. D., coauteure de Becoming Vegan, nutrispeak.com
Virginia Messina, M. P. H., R. D., coauteure de The Dietitian's Guide to Vegetarian Diets, vegnutrition.com
Jack Norris, R. D., directeur de Vegan Outreach, auteur de Staying Healthy on PlantBased Diets et de B12 Review
Dr John Wedderburn, M. B., Ch. B., fondateur de la Hong Kong Vegan Association
Mark Rifkin, M. S., R. D., L. D. N

B12. A bit of history

This is a very special vitamin. Our body needs a small amount of B12 compared to other vitamins. During the day, 10 micrograms corresponds to the maximum amount that the body can absorb. If there are no sources of vitamin B12 in the diet, then symptoms of its deficiency in an adult usually appear after five years. Some begin to experience problems after one year. Have a very a small amount people who do not eat reliable sources of B12 do not develop clinical symptoms for 25 years or more. A balanced plant-based diet with a variety of fruits and vegetables (grown under the sun) is not a reliable source of B12. It is recognized that this vitamin is the only thing that the plant-based diet lacks.

Herbivorous mammals, such as cattle, sheep, absorb B12 produced by bacteria present in their own digestive system. B12 is also found in soil and plants. These observations have led some vegans to believe that B12 is not worth worrying about, that the B12 prescription is a conspiracy. Others have stated that there is a reliable vegan source of B12, such as spirulina, nori seaweed, fermented soybeans (tempe), or barley sprouts. These claims have not stood the test of time.

Over 60 years of scientific research by vegan groups has proven that artificially fortified B12 foods and B12 supplements are the only reliable source of B12 for good health. It is very important that all vegans make sure they are getting enough vitamin B12, whether through supplements or artificially fortified foods. Supporting good level You encourage others to follow your lead and switch to a plant-based diet.

Ensuring adequate B12 intake

Each country has different recommendations for taking B12. The United States recommends an intake of 2.4 micrograms per day for a normal adult and up to 2.8 micrograms for pregnant women. In Germany, these recommendations are 3 mcg per day. For the lowest amount of B12 found in foods, absorption is typically 50%. Therefore, recommended doses are usually calculated on the basis of 50% digestibility. Thus, an average dose of 1.5 mcg B12 per day was calculated to meet the recommendations in Germany and the USA. This is a fairly low dose, but it allows most people to avoid the first symptoms of a B12 deficiency. These symptoms are: elevated levels of homocysteine ​​and methylmalonic acid (AMM). Even small increases in blood homocysteine ​​levels are associated with increased health risks, including cardiovascular disease in adults, preeclampsia in pregnancy, and neural tube defects in infants.

Getting the right dose of B12 is easy. Among the various methods, everyone chooses the one that suits him best.

When you consume 1 mcg of B12, absorption is 50%, but if you take 1,000 mcg (1 mg) or more at a time, absorption drops to 0.5%. The less often you take B12 and the higher the dose, the greater the compensation for reduced absorption will be to ensure that the body receives the required amount of B12.

Regular consumption of B12-fortified foods containing 1 mcg of B12 consumed three times a day (with an interval of several hours) provides an optimal dose. The availability of artificially fortified B12 foods varies from country to country. The content of B12 in them varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. If you want to guarantee your vitamin B12 intake using fortified foods, read the dosage labels carefully and accurately calculate the amount and frequency of intake without making mistakes. When developing this supplement, base it on local fortified foods and your personal preferences.

Daily intake of a dietary supplement containing 10 mcg of B12 or more provides an absorption of an amount equal to three doses of 1 mcg per day. Without a doubt, this is the most economical solution, since it is enough to consume a high dosage tablet in parts. A weekly intake of 2,000 micrograms of B12 would also provide a normal dose. All B12 tablets should be chewed or dissolved in the mouth to improve absorption. Tablets should be stored in an opaque vial. Although there has been no evidence of toxicity, it would be prudent not to exceed the dose that the body could absorb (this applies to any nutritional supplement). Although high doses have not been proven to be toxic, it is best to avoid dosages of 5,000 mcg per week.

The normal metabolic needs of the vast majority of people can be met by one of the three options described above. For people whose absorption of vitamin B12 is abnormally low, the third method (2000 mcg per week) is better suited, because it does not depend on the internal factor Intrinsic factor (Castle factor - an enzyme that converts the inactive form of vitamin B12 (comes from food) into active ( There are other metabolic dysfunctions, very rare, that require completely different approaches to meet the needs of B12. If you have reason to suspect a serious health problem, consult your doctor immediately.

Vitamin B12 deficiency. Symptoms

Deficiency, detected clinically, may be the cause of anemia or deterioration of the nervous system. Most vegans consume enough B12 to avoid clinical deficiency. However, among vegans, we distinguish two subgroups at risk for B12 deficiency: long-term vegans who avoid fortified foods (e.g., raw vegans and macrobiotics), and infants breastfeeding whose mothers do not consume enough B12.

Typical symptoms of B12 deficiency in adults are loss of energy, tingling, numbness, decreased sensitivity to pain, pressure, blurred vision, abnormal gait, irritated tongue, memory lapses, confusion, hallucinations, and personality changes. Often these symptoms develop gradually, over several months, over a year, before they are identified as a consequence of a B12 deficiency. They are usually reversible with B12 administration. In some cases, B12 deficiency can cause complications in adults. There is no completely consistent and reliable classification of these symptoms. Each of these can also be caused by something other than a B12 deficiency. Therefore, if you are not sure, you should clarify the diagnosis with a competent medical professional.

As a rule, infants develop the first symptoms faster than adults. A B12 deficiency can lead to loss of energy and appetite, as well as cessation of growth. If the deficit is not replenished immediately, this condition can develop into a coma or lead to death. Again, there is no exact pattern of symptoms. Infants are more vulnerable to consequences than adults. Some will regain all their abilities, but others will continue to lag behind in development.

The risk of these groups is reason enough to encourage all vegans to spread this message about the importance of B12 and lead by example. Whether it's an infant or an ill-informed adult, every case of B12 deficiency is a human drama that discredits vegans as a whole in the eyes of society.

Association with homocysteine

That's not all: most vegans have enough B12 to prevent the development of a clinical deficiency, but a decrease in the activity of B12-related enzymes raises homocysteine ​​levels. A decade of solid evidence has accumulated that elevated levels of homocysteine, however small, increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, heart attacks, and pregnancy complications.

Homocysteine ​​levels are also dependent on other nutrients, especially folic acid. General recommendations for increasing folic acid intake are primarily aimed at lowering homocysteine ​​levels in order to avoid the associated risks. Generally, vegans have no problem with folic acid intake as they consume a lot of green vegetables. However, repeated observations advanced level homocysteine ​​in vegans and, in lesser degree, in some vegetarians, show that with proper intake of B12, any unnecessary risk is prevented.

Analyze your B12

A blood test for vitamin B12 is unreliable for vegans, especially when they consume seaweed (no matter what form). Algae as well as other plants contain analogues of B12 (false B12), which they account for along with real B12. Recall that in addition to distorting the analyzes, these analogues (false B12) negatively affect B12 metabolism. Also, blood counts are unreliable for vegans. In fact, when anemia is due to vitamin B12 deficiency, high level folic acid will mask the symptoms that are supposed to be found in the blood. A blood test for the level of homocysteine ​​in the blood is much more reliable. The normal concentration of homocysteine ​​is less than 10 µmol/l. Finally, vitamin B12 levels are more specifically determined by the methylmalonic acid (AMM) assay. If the concentration of methylmalonic acid is below 370 nmol/l in the blood, you have a vitamin B12 deficiency. Likewise, methylmalonic acid levels should be below 4 µg/mg creatinine on a urinalysis. Many doctors still rely on B12 blood counts. They are wrong, especially for vegans.

Is there a vegan alternative to B12 fortified foods and supplements?

If you choose not to use fortified foods and nutritional supplements, be aware that you have undertaken a dangerous experiment that other people have done long before you and have not been successful. If you want to try a potential source of B12 that has not yet been debunked as ineffective, some precautions must be taken: you must be an adult male or female, but not pregnant, expecting to become pregnant, and not breastfeeding. Also, to protect your health, you should get tested for B12 every year. If your homocysteine ​​or methylmalonic acid (AMM) levels rise, even just a little, it means that you are putting your life in danger by continuing the experiment.

If you are an adult and are planning to do this experiment on a child, or you are a woman who is breastfeeding, pregnant or expecting a pregnancy, do not take this risk, it is unreasonable.

Some purported sources of B12 have been debunked by direct studies on vegans. Thus, sources of B12 are not: human intestinal flora, spirulina, dried nori and most other algae, barley sprouts. Many studies conducted on raw vegans have shown that a raw food diet does not provide much protection.

A reliable source is not a product that lists B12 content. This is not enough to declare it reliable. In reality, it is difficult to distinguish true B12 from its counterparts. Analogues may also interfere with B12 metabolism. In order for a product to be considered reliable, it is not enough that it contains true vitamin B12, because it may not be effective due to the presence of analogues in equal amounts. There is only one way to test the reliability of a B12 source: it must ensure that it actually prevents and actually makes up for a B12 deficiency. Such evidence must be systematically provided by anyone who consumes the product as a source of B12.

Healthy, natural and humane diet

A healthy lifestyle does not apply only to a handful of isolated people. To be truly healthy, it must allow 6 billion people to develop together, living in community with many other types of biosphere. A plant-based diet is the only natural adaptation for most people, perhaps even for everyone in modern world. The abomination of the modern animal industry is that it tends to turn sensitive living beings into production machines, which is unnatural. By choosing fortified foods or B12 supplements, vegans can get the vitamin without causing any harm to living beings or the environment. Their source of B12 is the same as that of all other animals living on this planet - microorganisms.

Vegans who consume sufficient fortified foods or B12 supplements are less likely to be deficient in vitamin B12 than the typical meat consumer. In defining recommended doses of B12 in the United States, the Institute of Medicine clearly stated: “10 to 30% of older people can no longer absorb the vitamin B12 that comes naturally from their diet. Therefore, it is recommended that all persons over the age of 50 ensure their recommended daily intake of vitamin B12 through the consumption of foods fortified with vitamin B12, or food additives B12".

Vegans should follow this advice from the start for themselves and for the protection of animals at the same time. Well-informed vegans should never have a problem with vitamin B12.

Spread this information because it protects the health of vegans.

For more information (English links):
Dietary Reference Intakes for Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Vitamin B12, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, and Choline, National Academy Press, 1998, ISBN 0-309-06554-2.
Vitamin B12: Are You Getting It? by Jack Norris (Registered Dietitian).
Homocysteine ​​in Health and Disease, ed. Ralph Carmel et Donald W. Jacobsen, Cambridge University Press, 2001, ISBN 0-521-65319-3.

So I think, is it really necessary to artificially take it in pills and injections in order to make up for the lack of B12 on a raw food diet?

Original taken from artemu238 in Revelations of raw foodists about vitamin B12...

Vitamin B12 is involved in many vital processes in our body. At the same time, neither animals nor plants are capable of synthesizing vitamin B12 on their own, since they have neither genes nor enzymes responsible for its biosynthesis. This unique compound is born only thanks to the vital activity of various microorganisms.

Severe vitamin B12 deficiency on a vegan dietusually develops only after 4 - 6 years of this lifestyle.(i) According to the data researchconducted in Germany, the level of vitamin B12 in the blood of vegans gradually decreases as the experience of veganism increases.

It is known that vitamin B12 is synthesized by the intestinal microflora. Moreover, the bacteria of the intestinal biocenosis both synthesize and absorb cyanocobalamin. That is why the human stomach provides for the synthesis of intrinsic factor, which binds to vitamin B12 supplied with food and prevents its utilization by bacteria. However, in raw foodists who eat mainly fruits and vegetables, the production of this intrinsic factor is minimal. I'll explain why. The digestion of low-protein foods (vegetables and fruits) is characterized by a transient phase of gastric digestion, in which there is no abundant excretion gastric juice and enzymes. In this case, accordingly, a smaller amount of internal factor is formed, since its molecule consists of peptides that are cleaved from pepsinogen when it is converted into pepsin, and mucoids, a secret secreted by the cells of the gastric mucosa. ()

It should also be recalled that the main synthesis of vitamin B12 by propionic acid bacteria occurs in those parts of the intestine where its absorption is complicated due to some physiological characteristics of the human body. Let me briefly remind you of their essence. Any high-molecular compounds, due to their large size, are retained in the intestinal cavity and cannot freely enter the bloodstream. That is why in our digestive system there are a variety of enzymes necessary for grinding and breaking down the original complex substances into simple monomers. To get an idea of ​​what we are talking about, take a look at these numbers.

Molar mass of a substance:
Glucose 180 g/mol
Amino acids about 150 g/mol
Metabolites of microflora (volatile fatty acids, lactic acid, etc.) from 60 before 120 g/mol B vitamins - from 120 before 440 g/mol
Vitamin B12 - 1355 g/mol ( !!! )

Due to the extremely low concentrations of vitamin B12 and high molar mass, its absorption in the large intestine is difficult. And at the same time, human nutrition does not matter.

As a rule, cyanocobalamin enters the human body with food of animal origin. Therefore, a raw foodist who has completely abandoned the use of animal products deprives himself of the main source of this vitamin. Which naturally creates the conditions for the emergence, at first hypovitaminosis- vitamin deficiency, in which various, imperceptible metabolic disorders begin to develop, and then beriberi- a pathological condition in which negative changes in metabolism are manifested by a pronounced deterioration in the normal vital functions of the body.

However, all these obvious facts and warnings often go unheeded by many raw foodists. This is mainly due to a superficial attitude to the study of this issue, as well as the destructive activities of fake "gurus" and other upstarts. What is the article of some illiterate enthusiast dangling on the Internet, who claims that vitamin B12 is a bacterium, and all the talk about its deficiency is just a marketing ploy of pharmacological companies. One gets the impression that writing all sorts of nonsense about vitamin B12 on a raw food diet has become simply fashionable. After all, look, today every second person writes whatever he wants on this topic, and bears absolutely no responsibility for his texts. The final result of this state of affairs is the spread among raw foodists of distorted ideas about human physiology, vitamin deficiency B12 and related pathologies.

Case one

An excerpt from the correspondence with the mother of several children with a three-year experience of a raw food diet:

Case two

One of my acquaintances with a long experience in CME told me about an interesting discussion in the group "Syro-eating" in contact with. Topic name " Blood tests after 4 and a half years of a raw-mono diet". I consider it appropriate to add an excerpt from our correspondence to this entry.

A girl writes after 4 years of CME:

“I was not too lazy to do a detailed blood test, including for B12. The first one was done in March (4 years 2 months from the start of CME), repeated after 5 months.
In general, a good picture, hemoglobin is high, in 1st once 142 , 2nd - 135 , good blood formula, BUT - B12 below the plinth: 1st once 130 , 2nd - 120 at the lower limit of the dishonor "norm" in 210 (!!! ). So it is not a fact that when good health, high hemoglobin and the overall good picture with B12 should also be all right. Either my body is wrong, or B12 deficiency after a certain number of years on CME is not a fairy tale. "

I was able to find the author of this post. And in the conversation, many more interesting points emerged. For example, the fact that, in addition to vitamin B12 deficiency, this raw-mono eater showed other metabolic disorders and a general deterioration in health. Also, this girl complained that she was simply banned on the raw-mono-eaters forum when she tried to raise this topic.
Well, what surprised me most of all was that when I offered to provide the public with all this information on my blog, she flatly refused to reveal any details of her story to the general public.

It should also be added here that after this raw foodist, another participant from the VKontakte group "Syromanoedenie" passed the tests. Guy 3.5 years CME without breakdowns. The result of his test also showed a significant deficiency of vitamin B12 ( 150 at the lower limit of the norm in 180).

Case three

Discussion from the group "Syromanoedenie" VKontakte. Already removed.

My wife with an experience of 2 years 3 months passed blood tests. Here are the results. In brackets is the norm for a woman.

total protein - 75,4 (64-83)
Hemoglobin - 97 (115-145)
Calcium - 2,38 (2,25-2,75)
Phosphorus - 1,11 (0,48-2,19)
B12 - 124 (211-911)

The reason for the tests: numbness of the arms and legs, deterioration of vision and teeth, reduction of veins, high pulse (115-120). Slava (3 months old) was not tested. Toko for rickets - no rickets.

Andrey Anzhi Dzyamko
How long does this reason for taking tests last?

Case four

Case five

"For the fifth year on a raw food diet, I felt a little strange. I felt a little dizzy, there was some kind of uncertainty in movements, tingling in the limbs. Tests showed an increase in red blood cells. All these are symptoms of B12 deficiency. Fortunately, the processes did not go too far." Antonio

case six

PS: we also did an analysis for the older child - everything is normal with him. But my husband’s result is even lower than mine, but his experience of 100% vegetarianism is not 5 years like mine, but 10-12.

Case seven

My raw food diet experience was 3.5 years. Omitting all the small details of this experience, including cleansing, fasting, monotrophic nutrition, fruit eating, having come to an intermediate conclusion, I can say that for me the raw food diet was just another "road sign" on the way to goals ... What? Different and in different directions... But more on that in another article :) Here I’ll just tell you about how, after the aforementioned 3.5 years, I began to notice irritability, hyperactivity, mood swings and energy levels, and most importantly, forgetfulness and excessive thoughtfulness, standing in one place ... Not to mention the incessant zhora. I took this signal adequately and fast realized that it was necessary to change something and to begin to pass tests.

The result of B12 was as follows: 123 pmol/L from the regulatory framework 160 before 670 ...

Everything else is in the so-called "norm"! But it's not even about the results of the tests, but about my worldview at the moment. I think that in my case, the raw food diet played a dual role. On the one hand, my consciousness was cleansed and cleared up, and so was my body. Aspirations appeared, and most importantly, the strength and desire to fulfill them. But on the other hand, I was not ready for such sharp turns. fate and speed life ... And hence the imbalance of the field form of Life, and as a result, disruptions and rollbacks ... Moreover, now, remaining at 80-85% raw foodists, I consider this the optimal diet for myself. With reference to one essential point, which I consider universal, namely, the FEELING OF RATE! Which I was unfortunately deprived of earlier: (I am sure that I will acquire this ability in the future, which I wish to everyone who does not have it! Happily and Thankfully I give for the attention of everyone! Maxim Nevler

case eight

He began to eat fruits and read all sorts of "gurus": Izyum and others like him. Then I thought that weaklings wrote articles about the need for B12))
So two years passed, and finally, in May 2012, I admitted to myself that "the king is naked." I was very emaciated, pale and embittered due to a lack of energy - all this did not look like a superman, the image of which was painted by the "gurus" of the raw food diet.
Then I decided to reconsider my views on nutrition and began to read and listen to adequate people. After reading the blog of Artem Demchukov, I added vegetable oil, baked and raw vegetables, greens to my diet; began to eat with sufficient breaks between meals. body weight increased to 65 kg, strength and vigor appeared.
Everything developed, the power system was constantly adjusted for the better. But in October 2013, I began to notice that I was prostrating and could not clearly concentrate, my vision had deteriorated. I stumbled across the article again about the need for B12 and realized that I have symptoms of a B12 deficiency: tingling in my hands and feet, which I did not take seriously. Everything happened so slowly that I considered my condition normal and began to think that it had always been like that.
I decided to do a blood test as soon as possible to diagnose anemia ( general analysis blood with leukocyte formula, ESR, iron, vitamin B12, folic acid) there I also added an analysis of homocysteine ​​in the blood.

Judging by the articles of experienced vegans, I should have low levels of vitamin B12 and high levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that destroys blood vessels. I was also expected to have high levels of folic acid, as there is a lot of it in the plant foods I was eating. They wrote that folic acid hides the symptoms of anemia, so I could not notice the tingling.

I did some tests and it turned out like this:
Homocysteine: 44.3 µmol/l (norm 5-12)
Vitamin B12: 40.3 pmol/l (norm 133-675)
Folic acid: 26 nmol/l (norm 4-21)

I have now started taking a high-dose cyanocobalamin tablet daily: 5,000 mcg/piece.
The tingling disappeared completely, and most importantly, vision improved and attention was restored - I don’t understand how I could exist before. A completely different world :) Now the benefits of the Fruitarian diet have become fully visible.

I took pills every day 1–2 B12 tablets, for 2-3 weeks, and at first it seemed to me that the tingling disappeared forever, but then I began to notice them again.

Then I decided to consult Artem Demchukov and a neurologist - the answer was unanimous: “If there is tingling in the limbs and a very low level of B12, then, of course, you need to give injections to restore the integrity of the nerve fibers - you will need to take a long course of B12 injections, and then you can switch completely to pills.”

I immediately decided to take a course of intramuscular injections of vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin):
1 week - once a day 500 mcg
1 month - 1000 mcg in Week
2 months - 500 mcg in Week
further - once a month in parallel with taking tablets until the symptoms are completely eliminated.
Now I'm already 1–2 I take pills once a week 1 once a month I do an injection 500 mcg B12.

My conclusion is this: if the symptoms of anemia have already begun to appear, then it is imperative to give injections, since when taking the medicine orally (through the mouth), in tablets, it is absorbed only up to 5% vitamin B12.
Thinking that everything will go away just by starting to take pills is very dangerous, since in severely neglected cases, complete recovery is even impossible ( !!! )

At one time I thought that B12 should end in 5 years (according to the statistics of vegetarians) and did not take pills, considering it evil - but everything ended much faster for me and I have to inject cyanocobalamin.

I advise you to do a blood test for vitamin B12 already a year after switching to a vegetarian diet, if you do not take it additionally in tablets - I saw tests of a vegetarian whose B12 level was two times lower than the normal limit after a year and a half, although he consumed dairy products and even eggs.

Small selection:
- when switching to vegetarianism, start taking B12 tablets;
- do not take B12, get anemia and already inject yourself with B12;
- do not take B12, get anemia and already find someone to inject you with B12;
- do not take B12, get anemia: damage to the nervous system in the form of funicular myelosis with the development of sensory disorders [numbness, tingling, feeling of heat] and a gradual spread from the toes and hands to the trunk, and then with the addition of motor disorders [weakness of the muscles of the legs and arms , urinary and fecal incontinence, apathy, depression, psychoses] - do nothing and if left untreated, in a few months, these disorders will become irreversible.

Vitamin B12 is involved in many vital processes in our body. At the same time, neither animals nor plants are capable of synthesizing vitamin B12 on their own, since they have neither genes nor enzymes responsible for its biosynthesis. This unique compound is born only thanks to the vital activity of various microorganisms.

Severe vitamin B12 deficiency on a vegan dietusually develops only after 4 - 6 years of this lifestyle.(i) According to the data researchconducted in Germany, the level of vitamin B12 in the blood of vegans gradually decreases as the experience of veganism increases.

However, it should be noted here that people conducting therapeutic fasting may go beyond this statistical material. During starvation, the body initially sucks out almost all the water and nutrients from the feces. Then the intestinal contents begin to poison a person with toxic metabolites and decay products, and also, as experiments on animals have shown, the level of B12 in the blood rises in starving individuals. Several episodes have already been known when, in starving raw foodists, analyzes showed an increase in the concentration of vitamin B12 in the blood compared to the initial values. In all other cases (without the practice of fasting), the analyzes of experienced raw foodists show the B12 value below the norm.

The interval of the norm of vitamin B12 in the blood indicates the limits in which, in a healthy person, cyanocobalamin ensures the flow of biochemical reactions at a sufficient level. When vitamin B12 falls below normal, metabolic by-products begin to accumulate in the cells: homocysteine ​​and methylmalonic acid. Excessive accumulation of these toxic substances in the tissues of the body increases the risk of stroke, and also leads to disruption of normal metabolism, megaloblastic anemia and demyelination of nerve fibers. Therefore, all the talk about the fact that low B12 levels are the norm for raw foodists is actually just an empty fantasy of incompetent people. This is already a proven fact, in raw foodists with low B12, blood tests show a high level of toxic homocysteine, which can in no way be the norm for a healthy person ( !!! )

It is known that vitamin B12 is synthesized by the intestinal microflora. Moreover, the bacteria of the intestinal biocenosis both synthesize and absorb cyanocobalamin. That is why the human stomach provides for the synthesis of intrinsic factor, which binds to vitamin B12 supplied with food and prevents its utilization by bacteria. However, in raw foodists who eat mainly fruits and vegetables, the production of this intrinsic factor is minimal. I'll explain why. Digestion of low-protein foods (vegetables and fruits) is characterized by a transient phase of gastric digestion, in which there is no abundant secretion of gastric juice and enzymes. In this case, accordingly, a smaller amount of internal factor is formed, since its molecule consists of peptides that are cleaved from pepsinogen when it is converted into pepsin, and mucoids, a secret secreted by the cells of the gastric mucosa. ()

It should also be recalled that the main synthesis of vitamin B12 by propionic acid bacteria occurs in those parts of the intestine where its absorption is complicated due to some physiological characteristics of the human body. Let me briefly remind you of their essence. Any high-molecular compounds, due to their large size, are retained in the intestinal cavity and cannot freely enter the bloodstream. That is why in our digestive system there are a variety of enzymes necessary for grinding and breaking down the original complex substances into simple monomers. To get an idea of ​​what we are talking about, take a look at these numbers.

Molar mass of a substance:
Glucose 180 g/mol
Amino acids about 150 g/mol
Metabolites of microflora (volatile fatty acids, lactic acid, etc.) from 60 before 120 g/mol B vitamins - from 120 before 440 g/mol
Vitamin B12 - 1355 g/mol ( !!! )

Due to the extremely low concentrations of vitamin B12 and high molar mass, its absorption in the large intestine is difficult. And at the same time, human nutrition does not matter.

As a rule, cyanocobalamin enters the human body with food of animal origin. Therefore, a raw foodist who has completely abandoned the use of animal products deprives himself of the main source of this vitamin. Which naturally creates the conditions for the emergence, at first hypovitaminosis- vitamin deficiency, in which various, imperceptible metabolic disorders begin to develop, and then beriberi- a pathological condition in which negative changes in metabolism are manifested by a pronounced deterioration in the normal vital functions of the body.

However, all these obvious facts and warnings often go unheeded by many raw foodists. This is mainly due to a superficial attitude to the study of this issue, as well as the destructive activities of fake "gurus" and other upstarts. What is the article of some illiterate enthusiast dangling on the Internet, who claims that vitamin B12 is a bacterium, and all the talk about its deficiency is just a marketing ploy of pharmacological companies. One gets the impression that writing all sorts of nonsense about vitamin B12 on a raw food diet has become simply fashionable. After all, look, today every second person writes whatever he wants on this topic, and bears absolutely no responsibility for his texts. The final result of this state of affairs is the spread among raw foodists of distorted ideas about human physiology, vitamin deficiency B12 and related pathologies.

Case one

An excerpt from the correspondence with the mother of several children with a three-year experience of a raw food diet:

Case two

One of my acquaintances with a long experience in CME told me about an interesting discussion in the group "Syro-eating" in contact with. Topic name " Blood tests after 4 and a half years of a raw-mono diet". I consider it appropriate to add an excerpt from our correspondence to this entry.

A girl writes after 4 years of CME:

“I was not too lazy to do a detailed blood test, including for B12. The first one was done in March (4 years 2 months from the start of CME), repeated after 5 months.
In general, a good picture, hemoglobin is high, in 1st once 142 , 2nd - 135 , good blood formula, BUT - B12 below the plinth: 1st once 130 , 2nd - 120 at the lower limit of the dishonor "norm" in 210 (!!! ). So it’s not a fact that with good health, high hemoglobin and an overall good picture with B12, everything should also be in order. Either my body is wrong, or B12 deficiency after a certain number of years on CME is not a fairy tale. "

I was able to find the author of this post. And in the conversation, many more interesting points emerged. For example, the fact that, in addition to vitamin B12 deficiency, this raw-mono eater showed other metabolic disorders and a general deterioration in health. Also, this girl complained that she was simply banned on the raw-mono-eaters forum when she tried to raise this topic.
Well, what surprised me most of all was that when I offered to provide the public with all this information on my blog, she flatly refused to reveal any details of her story to the general public.

It should also be added here that after this raw foodist, another participant from the VKontakte group "Syromanoedenie" passed the tests. Guy 3.5 years CME without breakdowns. The result of his test also showed a significant deficiency of vitamin B12 ( 150 at the lower limit of the norm in 180).

Case three

Discussion from the group "Syromanoedenie" VKontakte. Already removed.

My wife with an experience of 2 years 3 months passed blood tests. Here are the results. In brackets is the norm for a woman.

total protein - 75,4 (64-83)
Hemoglobin - 97 (115-145)
Calcium - 2,38 (2,25-2,75)
Phosphorus - 1,11 (0,48-2,19)
B12 - 124 (211-911)

The reason for the tests: numbness of the arms and legs, deterioration of vision and teeth, reduction of veins, high pulse (115-120). Slava (3 months old) was not tested. Toko for rickets - no rickets.

Andrey Anzhi Dzyamko
How long does this reason for taking tests last?

Case four

Case five

"For the fifth year on a raw food diet, I felt a little strange. I felt a little dizzy, there was some kind of uncertainty in movements, tingling in the limbs. Tests showed an increase in red blood cells. All these are symptoms of B12 deficiency. Fortunately, the processes did not go too far." Antonio

case six

PS: we also did an analysis for the older child - everything is normal with him. But my husband’s result is even lower than mine, but his experience of 100% vegetarianism is not 5 years like mine, but 10-12.

Case seven

My raw food diet experience was 3.5 years. Omitting all the small details of this experience, including cleansing, fasting, monotrophic nutrition, fruit eating, having come to an intermediate conclusion, I can say that for me the raw food diet was just another "road sign" on the way to goals ... What? Different and in different directions... But more on that in another article :) Here I’ll just tell you about how, after the aforementioned 3.5 years, I began to notice irritability, hyperactivity, mood swings and energy levels, and most importantly, forgetfulness and excessive thoughtfulness, standing in one place ... Not to mention the incessant zhora. I took this signal adequately and fast realized that it was necessary to change something and to begin to pass tests.

The result of B12 was as follows: 123 pmol/L from the regulatory framework 160 before 670 ...

Everything else is in the so-called "norm"! But it's not even about the results of the tests, but about my worldview at the moment. I think that in my case, the raw food diet played a dual role. On the one hand, my consciousness was cleansed and cleared up, and so was my body. Aspirations appeared, and most importantly, the strength and desire to fulfill them. But on the other hand, I was not ready for such sharp turns. fate and speed life ... And hence the imbalance of the field form of Life, and as a result, disruptions and rollbacks ... Moreover, now, remaining at 80-85% raw foodists, I consider this the optimal diet for myself. With reference to one essential point, which I consider universal, namely, the FEELING OF RATE! Which I was unfortunately deprived of earlier: (I am sure that I will acquire this ability in the future, which I wish to everyone who does not have it! Happily and Thankfully I give for the attention of everyone! Maxim Nevler

case eight

He began to eat fruits and read all sorts of "gurus": Izyum and others like him. Then I thought that weaklings wrote articles about the need for B12))
So two years passed, and finally, in May 2012, I admitted to myself that "the king is naked." I was very emaciated, pale and embittered due to a lack of energy - all this did not look like a superman, the image of which was painted by the "gurus" of the raw food diet.
Then I decided to reconsider my views on nutrition and began to read and listen to adequate people. After reading the blog of Artem Demchukov, I added vegetable oil, baked and raw vegetables, greens to my diet; began to eat with sufficient breaks between meals. body weight increased to 65 kg, strength and vigor appeared.
Everything developed, the power system was constantly adjusted for the better. But in October 2013, I began to notice that I was prostrating and could not clearly concentrate, my vision had deteriorated. I stumbled across the article again about the need for B12 and realized that I have symptoms of a B12 deficiency: tingling in my hands and feet, which I did not take seriously. Everything happened so slowly that I considered my condition normal and began to think that it had always been like that.
I decided to do a blood test as soon as possible to diagnose anemia (general blood test with leukocyte formula, ESR, iron, vitamin B12, folic acid) and I added a homocysteine ​​test in the blood.

Judging by the articles of experienced vegans, I should have low levels of vitamin B12 and high levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that destroys blood vessels. I was also expected to have high levels of folic acid, as there is a lot of it in the plant foods I was eating. They wrote that folic acid hides the symptoms of anemia, so I could not notice the tingling.

I did some tests and it turned out like this:
Homocysteine: 44.3 µmol/l (norm 5-12)
Vitamin B12: 40.3 pmol/l (norm 133-675)
Folic acid: 26 nmol/l (norm 4-21)

I have now started taking a high-dose cyanocobalamin tablet daily: 5,000 mcg/piece.
The tingling disappeared completely, and most importantly, vision improved and attention was restored - I don’t understand how I could exist before. A completely different world :) Now the benefits of the Fruitarian diet have become fully visible.

I took pills every day 1–2 B12 tablets, for 2-3 weeks, and at first it seemed to me that the tingling disappeared forever, but then I began to notice them again.

Then I decided to consult Artem Demchukov and a neurologist - the answer was unanimous: “If there is tingling in the limbs and a very low level of B12, then, of course, you need to give injections to restore the integrity of the nerve fibers - you will need to take a long course of B12 injections, and then you can switch completely to pills.”

I immediately decided to take a course of intramuscular injections of vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin):
1 week - once a day 500 mcg
1 month - 1000 mcg in Week
2 months - 500 mcg in Week
further - once a month in parallel with taking tablets until the symptoms are completely eliminated.
Now I'm already 1–2 I take pills once a week 1 once a month I do an injection 500 mcg B12.

My conclusion is this: if the symptoms of anemia have already begun to appear, then it is imperative to give injections, since when taking the medicine orally (through the mouth), in tablets, it is absorbed only up to 5% vitamin B12.
Thinking that everything will go away just by starting to take pills is very dangerous, since in severely neglected cases, complete recovery is even impossible ( !!! )

At one time I thought that B12 should end in 5 years (according to the statistics of vegetarians) and did not take pills, considering it evil - but everything ended much faster for me and I have to inject cyanocobalamin.

I advise you to do a blood test for vitamin B12 already a year after switching to a vegetarian diet, if you do not take it additionally in tablets - I saw tests of a vegetarian whose B12 level was two times lower than the normal limit after a year and a half, although he consumed dairy products and even eggs.

Small selection:
- when switching to vegetarianism, start taking B12 tablets;
- do not take B12, get anemia and already inject yourself with B12;
- do not take B12, get anemia and already find someone to inject you with B12;
- do not take B12, get anemia: damage to the nervous system in the form of funicular myelosis with the development of sensory disorders [numbness, tingling, feeling of heat] and a gradual spread from the toes and hands to the trunk, and then with the addition of motor disorders [weakness of the muscles of the legs and arms , urinary and fecal incontinence, apathy, depression, psychoses] - do nothing and if left untreated, in a few months, these disorders will become irreversible.