I was veggie for a very long time and I know that it is nearly impossible to get B12 on a veggie or vegan diet without supplementation so I thought this could be useful information to pass along. I had my levels of B12 tested but apparently not correctly. I was listening to Chris Kresser on Joe Rogan and he explains that serum B12 is not an accurate test to detect B12 depletion. He says that serum B12 levels only goes out of range when it is in the final stages of deficiency. He warns that at this point, some of the damage from a B12 deficiency can then be irreversible. What he suggests instead is that you have your doctor test methylmalonic acid, homocysteine and holotranscobalamin to accurately assess if you are becoming depleted. My doctor certainly never tested me for those. I could well have been depleted and wouldn’t have known. B12 deficiency is very serious and can cause neurological problems, decreased sense of taste, reduced heart and muscle function, memory problems, infertility and even psychosis. Really worth checking if you are veggie or vegan. Joel Kahn even said that cattle are now supplemented with B12 because they are not living a natural outdoor life and eating dirt. A bit worrisome!
This podcast was really interesting. It was a great debate on whether or not it’s healthy to eat meat, check out this talk with Chris Kresser and Dr. Joel Kahn on Joe Rogan