…continued from B12 Deficiency (I)

One of our readers wrote in to comment on the reliability of miso & seaweeds as a source of B12.

In my reply, I wrote that this article was not meant to be an ultimate solution, but rather aimed at creating more awareness and light amongst the confusing/conflicting sea of nutritional information.

B12 in miso and ferments became a debated issue since 1980s due to the strict sanitary standards of manufacturers. Tests conducted then found miso to be devoid of B12.

The 1 fact which remains is that the enzyme rich nature of miso helps in B12 absorption and also stimulates the intestines to produce B12 in the stomach.

Studies found that ‘trace’ amounts of B12 are present in ferments like Rejuvelac, non-pasteurized pickles, nut/seed yogurt, miso, tempeh, parsley and algae like Hijiki.

And ‘appreciable’ amounts are found in various forms of seaweeds including Kombu & Kelp, micro-algae like Chorella and nutritional yeast.

But, subsequent studies also show that the B12 found in micro-algae and seaweeds is not bio-available to the body.

Another interesting point to note would be that studies found those who uses animal products heavily require much more B12 for immunity & blood formation due to their more acidic & mucous environments. Health experts even advised non-vegans to take B12 supplements, imagine that!

Sometimes, it may be helpful to take a leaf from our ancestors’ book. There had been communities from ancient times, over various geographical regions, who lived purely on vegan diets (cooked or raw) and thrived with health and vitality.

For eg. there was a highly skilled martial arts adept from China - Kwan SaiHung (from The Wandering Taoist*), who grew up on a pure vegetarian diet. In fact their entire sect - Zheng Yi Huashan Sect from a Taoist mountain community, lived on pure vegetarian diets. Their animal products were reserved only for sick villagers.

Personally, I think vegans just choose to eat in a way which takes life from the least conscious sources on earth, while raw foodists go an extra step to try and procure the most nutrients with the least damage (both to the environment and to themselves).

And more importantly, the question to ask ourselves would be “Am I bringing more harm or benefit to my body by consuming this?” before we decide on our choices of all vitamins and nutrients - including B12.

Something worth considering would include manufacturing standards, conditions and additives used to produce our conventional animal/dairy consumables. We may not be so keen to eat them after we really find out how they were made!

There is also the saying that no man on earth can be a pure vegetarian per se, because we all need micro-organisms to survive; it just depends on which levels of life-forms and consciousness these life forms exist in.

If you are a strict vegan, it would be beneficial to get regular blood tests just to make sure you are on the right track. Although a healthy vegetarian requires relatively lower B12 levels in their blood, anything below 200-picogram per ml should be a concern.

In this case, I suggest seeking help from qualified health advisors to rebuild B12 levels in the best way.

Notwithstanding the above facts, I still think there is no faster route to health than to eliminate destructive behaviors like smoking, drinking alcohol and caffeinated beverages. So get rid of bad habits right away!

Remember that in this life, our body is not the same at every point of time. It changes, repairs itself, heals and transforms every second, although unnoticeable to the human eye.

Your well-being is definitely a function of body, mind and spirit. The body cannot be well if the spirit is not happy. So, smile wide today and tell a loved one “I love you” right now!

Be Still and Behold the Greatness Within You
(C) Copyright 2008, Linda Loo

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Tags: low fat recipes, low fat recipies, raw & living foods, raw food diet