Posted by Noa on November 22, 2000, at 13:56:33
In reply to Re: Coral-Anyone Vitamins, how much is too much?, posted by coral on November 21, 2000, at 8:32:51
I have been reading from a big volume on Nutrition and I wish I could remember the name--oh well. I'll get it to you in a later post.
Anyway, the author (a nutrition doc considered an authority, apparently) says that if you eat any animal products, you are getting plenty of B12. A deficiency apparently takes a few years to develop, because the liver stores it. so, if there is a deficiency, it is either due to a diet deficient in B12 (totally vegan diet) over the course of a few years and going back a few year before symptoms appear) or lack of "intrinsic factor" which helps to absorb the B12, I believe.
Also, he says that some supplements of B12 (including those in breakfast cereals) actually contain a B12 analogue that is unusable by our bodies. AND, that if the B12 is in a supplement in combo with certain minerals and antioxidants (Vitamins A and E ??) these can break the B12 down and make it worthless to us.
One of my sisters, who is a vegan, just got diagnosed with B12 deficiency, causing anemia (an anemia not responsive to iron supplement because iron deficiency is not the cause--the B12 deficency leads to fewer red cells developing). Now she needs a series of B12 shots and daily supplements.
BTW, an interesting site is linked at Dr. Bob's homepage--the food composition site at the USDA--it tells you how much of each nutrient is in any food.
www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/cgi-bin/nut_search.pl
poster:Noa
thread:3039
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20001117/msgs/3158.html