Standard values of vitamin B-12
The body’s own vitamin B12 reserves are normally sufficient for two to three years: The liver stores most of the vitamin B12 (up to 10mg), another 2mg is stored outside the liver. The recommended daily intake of vitamin B12 is 3 micrograms. The normal vitamin B12 level in blood serum is between 300 – 900 pg/ml.
Problem: at low or even medium normal values, a deficiency of vitamin B12 may still exist, which is not detected by the serum test. More precise are the Holo-Transcobalamin-Test, which measures vitamin B12 bound to transcobalamin (transport protein for vitamin B12), or the MMA-Test (methylmalonic acid) in blood or urine. Methylmalonic acid is a metabolic product of vitamin B12, so the test provides information about how much vitamin B12 is actually metabolized and used by the body.
Vegan nutrition
Vitamin B12 can only be produced by bacteria that live in the human or animal intestine and decompose food there. Therefore there are also hardly vegetable food, which contains Vitamin B12. There is now and then the information that Vitamin B12 is also present in algae, sauerkraut or brewer’s yeast, but this form of Vitamin B12 cannot be sufficiently absorbed and utilized by the human body.
The majority of vitamin B12 is therefore absorbed with our daily food. One can also contribute to a more or less balanced vitamin B12 balance in the body by choosing the right nutritional products. Most vitamin B12 is contained in animal foods.
These include mainly offal such as liver and kidney, but also red meat in general. Another source of vitamin B12, although not as rich, is dairy products such as cheese or curd cheese. While vegetarians avoid vitamin B12-rich red meat, they still consume vitamin B12 through cheese, curd cheese and milk.
The situation is different for vegans. Strictly vegan living humans do completely without products, like milk, cheese and eggs. Therefore straight Veganer, which do completely without animal products, suffer frequently from a Vitamin B12 deficiency.
It is important to mention that particularly with young humans substantially more frequently a Vitamin B12 deficiency is observed under a veganen nutrition. While adult humans, who live vegan, are inclined to a Vitamin B12 deficiency, but do not necessarily have to have it, with children a Vitamin B12 deficiency under a vegan nutrition is very frequent. It is therefore important that infants are not raised vegan to prevent this.Parents who insist on raising their children meat-free should at least consider a vegetarian diet instead of a vegan diet.
A chronic vitamin B12 deficiency in children can cause neurological damage. Nowadays, there are special soy or rice drinks for vegans that contain vitamin B12, which can be used to compensate for their vitamin B12 needs. In addition, doctors also recommend taking vitamin supplements and having their vitamin B12 levels checked regularly in the blood. Water-soluble (hydrophilic) vitamins: Fat-soluble (hydrophobic) vitamins:
- Vitamin B1 – thiamine
- Vitamin B2 – Riboflavin
- Vitamin B3 – Niacin
- Vitamin B5 – pantothenic acid
- Vitamin B6 – PyridoxalPyridoxinPyridoxamine
- Vitamin B7 – biotin
- Vitamin B9 – folic acid
- Vitamin B12 – cobalamin
- Vitamin A – Retinol
- Vitamin C – Ascorbic acid
- Vitamin D – Calcitriol
- Vitamin E – tocopherol
- Vitamin K – PhylloquinoneMenachinone
