Tagged with 'vitamin-B12'

You’re run down. Incredibly anxious. And you feel distracted by everything. Here’s why you should get your B₁₂ levels checked.

Studies show 15% of people are B₁₂ deficient, and nearly 40% are borderline. That’s a major loss because the nutrient is a powerhouse – charged with helping to make DNA, keeping nerve and blood cells healthy, and helping to deliver fresh oxygen to organs. And when your body is tight on O₂, you’ll feel wiped out all the time, no matter how many Zs you log.

Yet many women with a deficiency go undiagnosed for not only months, but years. Also, B₁₂ levels aren’t usually checked in routine blood work, and it’s easy to chalk up symptoms of a deficiency to stress or busyness. So, should you be supplementing?

A Growing Population At Risk

Vegetarians & Vegans: Most people eat enough B₁₂ from natural sources – meat, fish, eggs, and dairy. That means vegetarians and vegans are most prone to lagging levels (up to 87% of vegans may be deficient). And with these dietary preferences on the rise – 8 million people now identify as vegetarian and vegan, and Google Trends show a 90% increase in searches for “vegan” in the past year.

Women with Gut Troubles: A similar story is unfolding for women with gut troubles. That’s because chronic gut inflammation limits the body’s ability to absorb the nutrient. Conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS affects up to 45 million adults, two-thirds of them female), celiac disease, and Crohn’s are notorious for inflaming the gut.

Heartburn: Heartburn sufferers often lack B₁₂ too, since acid-reducing meds can limit the stomach acid needed to release B₁₂ from food. If you fall into any of these groups, visit your health care practitioner, who can test your blood and discuss ways to bring up your B₁₂ levels.

Know The Signs, And When To Seek Help

These symptoms can get scary fast – going from mild to severe in as little as six months if untreated. If you notice any, see your doctor right away.

1. Your tongue is smooth and shiny.

About half of people with a B₁₂ deficiency lose papillae – tiny, taste bud-containing bumps. As a result, your tongue may feel sore, and your sense of taste ay wait, making even spicy fare seem bland.

2. You Feel Prickles.

A lack of B₁₂ can deteriorate nerve cells, leading to a pins-and-needles sensation in your hands and feet. Ignore it, and the tingly feeling can become permanent.

3. Your Balance Is Shot.

Without the protection of B₁₂, the nerves in the spinal cord (which branch out to control your legs) can wither, leaving you dizzy and wobbly. Stumbling regularly isn’t normal unless you’re teetering in sky-high heels, so report ongoing instances of feeling off-kilter as soon as you notice them.

4. You’re Having Trouble Remembering Things

Nerve damage in your brain can leave you foggy, confused, and forgetful. If you frequently blank on the name of your favorite restaurant or misplace your keys more often than usual, take it seriously and get tested. The mental misfires can progress quickly and become irreversible; some people develop symptoms so severe, they mimic dementia in a year’s time.

5. You’re Stressed or Crying All The Time

A lack of B12 can mess with your mental health and eventually can lead to depression or anxiety. One theory why: Low B₁₂ may affect the production of mood-regulating neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, the same brain chemicals impacted in depression that’s not related to B₁₂. If you feel low and there’s no obvious stressors tanking your mood, talk to your health care provider.

Boost Your B

Raise those levels with science-backed (and real-women tested) tactics. Pick your preference; all work equally well.

Dine On B₁₂-Rich Foods

Meat eaters and vegetarians alike can score the daily recommended 2.4 micrograms of B₁₂ via food. Some of the best sources:

1 egg: 0.45 mcg

1 oz mozzarella: 0.65 mcg

3 oz beef tenderloin: 3.48 mcg

1 cup nonfat yogurt: 1.23 mcg

3 oz salmon: 2.38 mcg

3 oz tuna: 9.25 mcg

3 oz oysters: 5.75 mcg

1 cup Kashi Heart to Heart honey toasted oat cereal: 5.94 mcg

1 cup Kellogg’s All-Bran complete wheat flakes: 6.62 mcg

1 cup soy milk: 3 mcg

1 Tbsp bragg premium nutritional yeast seasoning: 2.4 mcg

Swallow A Supplement

Pop a daily 1,000-microgram supplement (unless your doc suggests a different dose). Research shows pills, gummies, and under-the-tongue dissolvable tabs are equally effective. Look for a USP or NSF seal on the packaging; this indicates an independent organization has verified the product contains the ingredient, in the stated amount, listed on the label.

Get An Injection

Needles bypass the gut to deliver the nutrient straight to the muscle, so you may feel the effects as soon as the “juice” goes in or up to a few days after. Most women need the shots monthly to keep energy levels from declining. If you’ve been diagnosed as deficient, you can get the shots at your doctor’s office or drugstore wellness clinics, and insurance will likely pay. If you haven’t been diagnosed, don’t buy into the fad. While taking in more B₁₂ won’t hurt you (you’ll just pee out what you don’t need), doctors suspect the energy lift some nondeficient people report feeling post-shot is a placebo effect.

Get Your B₁₂ On!

Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Healthy Goods 

Nobody wants to hear their brain is rapidly shrinking! Sadly enough, this is one of the diagnoses of Alzheimer’s disease. We all lose brain cells as we get older, normally about a half percent per year. If you have mild cognitive impairment that rises to 1% and when Alzheimer’s sets in, the atrophy speeds up to 2½%. 

B-vitamins and Alzheimer's Disease

The cause of Alzheimer’s still remains a mystery, but it’s becoming increasingly clear what you eat, or don’t eat, can influence your risk as well as the rate at which the disease progresses. B-vitamins, especially folic acid, vitamin B₆ and vitamin B₁₂, are once again being talked about for their powerful role in preventing or at least slowing the development of mild memory loss and possibly even Alzheimer’s disease.

High levels of the amino acid homocysteine are linked to brain shrinkage and an increased risk of Alzheimer’s. B-vitamins are known to suppress homocysteine.

In one study, blood levels of folate and vitamin B₁₂, as well as homocysteine, were analyzed in 121 normal patients and 321 patients with either mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s disease. Results showed homocysteine levels were highest in the patients with both cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s, and homocysteine was highest and folate levels lowest in those with Alzheimer’s. In addition, performance on a series of cognitive tests worsened as levels of vitamin B₁₂ and folate decreased, while those scores were inversely associated with homocysteine levels.

Take This Type of Folic Acid

If you take a B-complex or folic acid supplement, make sure the folic acid is in its biologically active form – L-5-MTHF. This is the form that’s able to cross the blood-brain barrier to give you the brain benefits mentioned above.

Blood Pressure and Mental Decline

Maintaining a normal blood pressure is also important in preventing dementia. Research concludes elevated blood pressure harms blood vessels in the brain associated with damage to the structure of the brain’s white matter and mental decline even in people as young as 40-years-old. Visit this blog post for strategies for reducing blood pressure.

Some good news though – seniors who stay physically active show less brain tissue atrophy and white matter lesions in the brain.

Bottom Line: There is certainly a link between memory loss and a deficiency of specific B-vitamins. However, the question of “how much” folic acid, vitamin B₆ and vitamin B₁₂ still needs to be determined.   

For more information about Alzheimer's Disease, visit the blog "Improve Your Odds Against Alzheimer's Disease."

In Health and Happiness,

Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Healthy Goods

References:

Kim G, Kim H, Kim K, et al: Relationship of cognitive function with B vitamin status, homocysteine, and tissue factor pathway inhibitor in cognitively impaired elderly. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease 2012;October 5th.

Maillard P, Seshadri S, Beiser A, et al: Effects of systolic blood pressure on white matter integrity in young adults in the Framingham Heart Study. Lancet neurology 2012;November 1^st.

Gow A, Bastin M, Munoz Maniega S, et al: Neuro-protective lifestyles and the aging brain. Neurology 2012;79:1802-1808.

Verdelho A, Madureira S, Ferro J, et al: Physical activity prevents progression for cognitive impairment and vascular dementia. Stroke 2012;November 1^st.

Imagine swimming 2.4 miles with hundreds of people in choppy, cold water. After swimming for 1 hour and 15 minutes, you finally finish; only to climb out of the water, lace up your cycling shoes, and hop on your road bike. You’re beginning a 112 mile ride. This lengthy cycling ride takes you about 6 hours and 30 minutes. As if that’s not enough, now you have to run. Not just any run, but a 26.2 mile run, aka, a full marathon. This may take around 4 hours and 45 minutes. The average triathlete exercises for about 12 hours and 35 minutes straight! Needless to say, after it’s all said and done, you need recovery food!  Lots of it and ASAP!

Is it possible for an endurance athlete to effectively train for a massive competition, successfully compete in, and then completely refuel if they eat vegan? It is safe to say, yes, a vegan diet is able to sustain an active lifestyle at all competitive levels, even Ironman triathlons. Vegans rely on fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans and legumes as their staples. 

Brendan Brazier is a former professional Ironman triathlete and two-time Canadian 50km Ultra Marathon Champion. He also follows a vegan diet. In fact, he is so passionate about eating clean and healthy, he created his own nutrition line to support his eating lifestyle and extreme activity level. Vega products are created using high quality, plant-based superfoods, with little processing. I highly recommend them. Check them out: Vega products 

Overall, a well-balanced vegan diet tends to be lower in saturated fat and cholesterol and higher in fiber, magnesium, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin E, folate, and a wide range of phytochemicals compared to diets that include animal products. 

However, vegans may have lower intakes of protein, vitamin B₁₂, calcium, vitamin D, iron, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids. Let’s take a closer look at these key nutrients vegan athletes want to pay closer attention to.  

Protein

Needed to maintain and build muscle and other tissues, making it critical for any athlete. Too little protein paired with too many carbohydrates and your performance may suffer.  An athlete’s protein needs vary according to the type of activity and level of training.  Daily needs typically range from 0.5 to 0.8 grams per pound of body weight. But vegans should consume 10% more than the typical recommendations because plant-based protein sources such as soy, legumes, nuts, seeds, grains, and vegetables, are more difficult to absorb than animal sources.    

For example, a 140-pound runner requires 70 to 112 grams of protein per day. If the athlete is vegan, a more appropriate protein recommendation is 77 to 123 grams per day, or an extra 2 Tablespoons of nut butter and a vegan bar. For a 220-pound football player, protein needs are 132 to 176 grams per day. If the player is vegan, the recommendations jumps to 145 to 193 grams of protein, or an additional ½ cup to 1 cup of peanuts daily.

Calories

Vegan athletes often have to consume more food than non-vegans to meet caloric needs, maintain body weight, and optimize training. Many vegan diets are nutrient-dense but may not be calorie-dense, so athletes need to make sure they are meeting their calorie needs. Vegan athletes should plan ahead to have food with them as much as possible and snack on high-calorie options like nuts, nut butters, seeds, and dried fruit. Vegan sports bars also come in handy when you need a quick snack.

Vitamin B₁₂

This critical vitamin is only found in animal products. Vitamin B₁₂ is required for the production of red blood cells and in tissue repair and maintenance, including the central nervous system. Severe B₁₂ deficiency may result in megaloblastic anemia, which results in tired and weak bodies, and will reduce endurance performance. Adding a B₁₂ multivitamin or consuming ample vitamin B₁₂-fortified foods such as whole grains, soy milk, meat alternatives, or bars, is essential to getting the recommended 2.4 mcg a day. 

Calcium

Athletes may be prone to stress fractures and muscle cramps. Calcium plays a key role in optimizing bone strength and is an essential component for proper muscle contraction. Since a vegan diet doesn’t include dairy products, a main calcium source, vegans tend to fall below the daily recommendations of 1,000-1,300 mg/day.

Structured vegan diets should contain ample sources of highly bioavailable calcium from items such as broccoli, collards, calcium-set tofu, fortified fruit juices, and some fortified almond/soy milks.

Still, a calcium supplement is often recommended to meet the body’s needs.

Iron

Even marginal iron deficiency can hurt athletic performance. Iron carries oxygen from the lungs to the working muscles. When your iron is low, you are likely to feel fatigued, have a drop in your performance, and a weakened immune system. Athletes who are at the highest risk of suffering from iron-deficiency anemia include the following:

• Vegetarians/Vegans who don’t eat red meat (the best dietary source of iron) or iron-enriched breakfast cereals.
• Marathon runners, who may damage red blood cells by pounding their feet on the ground during training.
• Female athletes who lose iron through menstrual blood.
• Endurance athletes, who may lose iron through heavy sweat losses. Iron requirements for endurance athletes, especially distance runners, are increased by approximately 70%.
• Teenage athletes, particularly girls, who are growing quickly and may consume inadequate iron to meet expanded requirements.

One pitfall about iron…iron from plant-based foods is not absorbed as well as iron from animal foods, so the recommended intake for vegans is 1.8 times greater. For example, an adult female should consume 32 mg of iron daily versus 18 mg for a non-vegetarian, and an adult male vegan requires 14 mg per day rather than 8 mg.

A multivitamin containing iron is generally added to a vegan diet. 

Iron Tip: The iron in sprouted grains, legumes, and fermented foods, such as miso and tempeh is absorbed more readily.

Vitamin D

Vegan or not, this is one vitamin many people are low in. Athletes who train primarily indoors throughout the year, such as gymnasts, wrestlers, and figure skaters, are at risk for poor vitamin D status. Vitamin D is critical for bone health and increases calcium absorption. It’s also involved in immune system function. Having inadequate levels of Vitamin D can increase your risk of developing stress fractures and other bone-related problems, plus a suppressed immune system makes you vulnerable to getting sick more often. To meet your needs, consider a combination of vitamin D fortified foods, exposure to sunlight, and vitamin D supplementation.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Following a vegan diet makes it difficult to obtain the recommended 1.1 to 1.6 grams per day of omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in fatty fish and fish oils. Omega-3s are critical for overall cardiovascular health, brain health, disease prevention, and they have the potential to decrease inflammation. However, omega-3 fatty acid deficiency may become less of a concern by combining nuts, seeds (especially flax), vegetable oils, algae, and some leafy greens with fortified foods such as soy milk, rice milk, and vegan bars.

Refueling

For the endurance athletes out there, don’t forget to eat a well-balanced diet within 30 minutes of completing your workout—high in carbohydrates with some protein. The extra carbohydrates, along with a little protein, will replenish your depleted glycogen muscle stores. This makes for a better workout the next day and will reduce your risk of “hitting the wall.”

Bottom Line: Take careful consideration when choosing your food in order to get the recommended amounts of all the nutrients your body needs to reach its peak performance. Consider taking supplements for the nutrients you have a hard time getting from your food.

In Health and Happiness,

Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Live Superfoods

References:

1. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Position Paper: Vegetarianism.

2. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Position Paper: Nutrition and Athletic Performance.

3. Kundrat, Susan, MS, RD, CSSD.  Veggies Galore.  Training-Conditioning: Oct. 2013.

What happens when you take meat, eggs, and dairy out of a person’s diet? Getting the nutrition you need from a vegan diet is possible, but certainly takes a clear understanding of the hurdles involved when eliminating food groups.

Traditional Vegan Diet

The traditional vegan diet is plant-based and excludes all animal products, including meat, dairy, and eggs. Food items derived from animal sources are usually also removed from the diet, such as gelatin and honey. 

It's well researched that a well-balanced vegan diet tends to be lower in saturated fat and cholesterol and higher in fiber, magnesium, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin E, folate, and a wide range of phytochemicals than diets that include animal products. 

Preventing Deficiencies

On the other hand, vegans may have lower intakes of protein, vitamin B₁₂, calcium, iron, vitamin D, and long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. Let’s take a closer look at the nutrients vegans will want to pay closer attention to.

Protein

Needed for maintaining and building muscle and other tissues. Vegans typically need 10% more protein than non-vegans because plant-based protein sources such as soy, legumes, nuts, seeds, grains, and vegetables, are more difficult to absorb than animal sources. It is possible for a poorly designed vegan diet to fall short in protein, so be sure not to neglect this important part of the diet.

Vitamin B₁₂

This critical vitamin is only found in animal products. Vitamin B₁₂ is essential for the maintenance of optimal nerve function, healthy cells, and prevention of megaloblastic anemia, which results in tired and weak bodies. Adding a B₁₂ multivitamin or consuming ample vitamin B12-fortified foods such as soy milk, meat alternatives, or bars, is essential to getting the recommended 2.4 mcg a day. 

Calcium

Calcium plays a key role in optimizing bone strength and is essential for muscle contraction. Plant-based diets typically don’t include dairy products, a main calcium source, so vegans tend to fall below the daily recommendations of 1,000-1,300 mg per day.

Structured vegan diets should contain ample sources of highly bioavailable calcium from items such as broccoli, collards, calcium-set tofu, fortified fruit juices, and some fortified almond/soy milks.

Still, a calcium supplement is often recommended to meet the body’s needs.

Iron

This mineral is a vital component of proteins and enzymes that maintain health. Iron also carries oxygen in the blood and helps facilitate the delivery of oxygen to cells. When iron is low, fatigue, decreased performance (for exercisers), and lowered immunity can result. One pitfall about iron…iron from plant-based foods is not absorbed as well as iron from animal foods, so the recommended intake for vegans is 1.8 times greater. For example, an adult female should consume 32 mg of iron daily versus 18 mg for a non-vegetarian, and an adult male vegan requires 14 mg per day rather than 8 mg.

A multivitamin containing iron is generally added to a vegan diet. 

Iron Tip: The iron in sprouted grains, legumes, and fermented foods, such as miso and tempeh is absorbed more readily.

Vitamin D

Vegan or not, this is one vitamin so many people are low in. It plays a key role in bone health and immune system function. Having inadequate levels of Vitamin D can increase your risk of developing stress fractures and other bone-related problems, plus a suppressed immune system makes you vulnerable to getting sick more often. Consider a combination of vitamin D fortified foods, such as orange juice, exposure to sunlight, and vitamin D supplementation to meet your needs.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Following a vegan diet makes it difficult to obtain the recommended 1.1 to 1.6 grams per day of omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in fatty fish and fish oils. Omega-3s are critical for overall cardiovascular health, brain health, disease prevention, and they have the potential to decrease inflammation. However, omega-3 fatty acid deficiency may become less of a concern by combining nuts, seeds (especially flax), vegetable oils, algae, and some leafy greens with fortified foods such as soy milk, rice milk, and vegan bars.

Making the Switch

If you’re considering a vegan diet, one suggestion is to make “food switches” rather than simply removing foods from your diet. Find comparable substitutes for foods to replace potentially missing nutrients. For example, if you want to eliminate all meat products, find foods to swap that are nutritionally similar in terms of total calories and key nutrients provided. Sometimes a combo of foods can do the trick. Common switches include beans and brown rice for meat or poultry, nuts and seeds for fish, soy milk for cow’s milk, and “veggie” jerky for meat jerky.

Bottom Line:

With some education and planning, implementing a vegan diet can support a person’s nutritional needs.

In Health and Happiness,

Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Live Superfoods

References:

1.  Institute of Medicine, Food and Nutrition Board. Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Arsenic, Boron, Chromium, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Nickel, Silicon, Vanadium, and Zinc. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 2001.

2.  The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Position Paper: Vegetarianism.

3.  Davis, Brenda, RD & Melina, Vesanto, MS, RD.  Becoming Vegan:  The Complete Guide to Adopting a Healthy Plant-based Diet. Summertown, TN:  Book Publishing Company. 2000.

4.  Kundrat, Susan, MS, RD, CSSD.  Veggies Galore.  Training-Conditioning: Oct. 2013.