Considered as the most complex of all vitamins, Vitamin B12 is needed
for the maintenance of one’s health. The body needs it for energy
production, formation of healthy red blood cells, and building of myelin
sheaths, which protect the nervous system. As such, lack or absence of
it may have negative health implications – it is associated with anemia,
irreversible nerve damage, and heart disease. As with any vitamin, it
is not naturally synthesized in the body. In fact, only bacteria have
the ability to naturally produce it, and animals get it through
bacterial symbiosis. Moreover, how are the elderly, vegans, and the
vitamin related to each other?
As aforementioned, animals get Vitamin B12 from bacteria because of
bacterial symbiosis. And, this is the reason why the source of the
vitamin is primarily animal-based foods, such as beef, poultry, fish,
beef liver, shellfish, milk, and eggs. Moreover, this is the main reason
why those who follow a vegan diet are at risk of being deficient of the
vitamin.
Just like vegans, the elderly are at risk of developing deficiency of
the vitamin, although it may be for a different reason. The elderly are
more likely to develop atrophic gastritis, which is a disease that
inhibits the production of stomach acid. This makes a difference in the
absorption of the vitamin because it is bound to a protein, and for it
to be released and properly absorbed by the body, considerable amounts
of stomach acid are needed. As such, just because one’s diet includes
animal-based foods does not necessarily mean that they are getting
enough of it.
Vegans may still get the vitamin from their diet, though. There are B12-fortified foods available, such as breakfast cereals.
Vitamin B12 liquid supplements
are also available, and the elderly and vegans can make use of them to
avoid developing deficiency of the vitamin and the health problems that
come with it.
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