Active Low-Carber Forums - View Single Post - Celebrity Vegans admit to Nutrient deficiencies.

This is amazing

There are surprisingly few online discussions when people get away from vegan, because they have hit squads swarming the comments with death threats. Which does make me wonder about their mental health. Here's some sobering statistics from a paper I ran across the other day, from February of 2023, and it fits right in here.

How prevalent is vitamin B12 deficiency among vegetarians?

Full Abstract

Quote:

Vegetarians are at risk for vitamin B12 (B12) deficiency due to suboptimal intake. The goal of the present literature review was to assess the rate of B12 depletion and deficiency among vegetarians and vegans. Using a PubMed search to identify relevant publications, 18 articles were found that reported B12 deficiency rates from studies that identified deficiency by measuring methylmalonic acid, holo-transcobalamin II, or both. The deficiency rates reported for specific populations were as follows: 62% among pregnant women, between 25% and almost 86% among children, 21–41% among adolescents, and 11–90% among the elderly. Higher rates of deficiency were reported among vegans compared with vegetarians and among individuals who had adhered to a vegetarian diet since birth compared with those who had adopted such a diet later in life. The main finding of this review is that vegetarians develop B12 depletion or deficiency regardless of demographic characteristics, place of residency, age, or type of vegetarian diet. Vegetarians should thus take preventive measures to ensure adequate intake of this vitamin, including regular consumption of supplements containing B12.

My bold. This is so dangerous.

Quote:

B12 is only synthesized by microorganisms and is, thus, not found in foods of plant origin, except through contamination with soil or by exposure to foods containing B12, such as milk solids during processing or in foods fortified with this vitamin. Since vegetarians have limited natural sources of B12 (milk, dairy, and eggs), the presence of B12 in plant-based diets depends on the inclusion/exclusion of foods of animal origin, consumption of foods fortified with B12, or the use of B12 supplements. Although B12 deficiency was once thought to be extremely rare except among strict vegetarians, it is now known that B12 deficiency is relatively common among people adhering to all types of vegetarian diets, including lacto-ovo-vegetarian, and other population subgroups, such as the elderly.

I wonder with the increased push to plant-based that might have moved it out of the rare category? At least it is semi-being recognized as a serious problem. Because I remember reading about it when I started low carb, and they were called it "underdiagnosed" then. Perhaps it's better, but still not addressed as it should.

My doctor just ran a full vitamin panel to check on anything that is causing my symptoms, and we are both keto and were pleased with the results.

Actually, and this is sad... he is more like astonished. I'm not like his other patients in his age range. This spurs me onward.

Quote:

that B12 deficiency is relatively common among people adhering to all types of vegetarian diets, including lacto-ovo-vegetarian

Are they not eating enough of the lacto-ovo? Does this mean that even people who do eat animal foods are not getting enough? If they are, as instructed, eating mostly plants and grains. Dr. Davis, of Wheatbelly fame, had a section in the book about the anti-nutrients: how grains drain the Bs.

Even such a diet might not be healthy unless they dropped the grains and changed their macros to be more animal food heavy. And, as always, there is individual variation. And the storage tank concept, suggested in the abstract with the line:

Quote:

Higher rates of deficiency were reported among vegans compared with vegetarians and among individuals who had adhered to a vegetarian diet since birth compared with those who had adopted such a diet later in life.