Vitamin B12: Are You Getting It?

by Jack Norris, RD

1. Introduction
2. Myth about How Often Someone Needs B12
3. Recommendations for Vegans and Near-Vegans
4. Sources of B12 for Vegans
5. Special Concerns for Those Over 50
6. Symptoms of Overt B12 Deficiency
7. B12 and Disease: Homocysteine
8. B12 and Chronic Disease: Cancer
9. B12 and Chronic Disease: Depression
10. Vitamin B12 Analogues
11. Digestion, Absorption, and Transport of B12
12. Coenzyme Functions of Vitamin B12
13. Blood B12 Level: Not a Reliable Measure of B12 Adequacy
14. B12 Status: Vegans Infants & Toddlers
15. B12 Status: Vegan Children & Teenagers
16. B12 Status: Vegan Adults
17. B12 Status: Elderly Vegetarians
18. B12 Status: Raw Foodist Vegans
19. B12 Status: Macrobiotics
20. B12 Status: Lacto-Ovo Vegetarians
21. B12 Status: Individual Cases
22. B12 Status: Immerman - The Exception
23. Measuring B12: Why the Confusion?
24. B12 in Tempeh, Seaweeds, Organic Produce, and Other Plant Foods
25. Are Intestinal Bacteria a Reliable Source of B12?
26. B12 and Non-Human Animals
27. Conclusion: Can a Natural Diet Require Supplements?
28. Appendix: Vegan Infants & Toddlers with Serious B12 Deficiency
29. Appendix: People Who Should Not Take the Cyanocobalamin Form of B12
30. Appendix: Smokers and Cyanocobalamin
31. Appendix: Non-cyanocobalamin B12 Supplements
32. Appendix: SAMe
33. Appendix: How Recommendations were Formulated
34. Appendix: Homocysteine and Kidney Disease
35. Appendix: Ways to Get B12 Deficiency
36. Appendix: Elevated Serum B12 and Increased Risk of Disease
37. Appendix: Conditions That Increase B12 Levels
38. Appendix: Should I Get My B12 Status Tested?
39. Table: B12-Related Laboratory Values
40. Table: Plant Sources of Folate
41. Figure: Methionine-Homocysteine-Folate-B12 Cycle