Vegans: B Complex vs B12, What You Need to Know
Vitamin B12 is one of the most essential nutrients our body needs to survive. Unlike many other vitamins that deal with one of two bodily functions, vitamin B12 works from your brain to your gut – keeping everything healthy.
What is Vitamin B Complex?
The class of vitamin B plays an essential role in the synthesis of red blood cells and cell metabolism. There are multiple vitamins in this class that share similar names, but they are individual distinct compounds, such as vitamin B1, B2, B3, B12, etc.
B vitamins are all water-soluble. Many of them are widely known as their names and not by numbers, like biotin, folate, niacin, and pantothenic acid.
Benefits of Vitamin B Complex
The whole vitamin B complex has many important roles to play in our body. Such as –
- Improving cell health
- Enhancing energy level
- Making brain function healthy
- Improving healthy appetite
- Producing cholesterol and hormones
- Toning muscles
- Elevating the growth of red blood cells
- Making your eyesight good
- Refine your digestion
- Making nerve function proper
- Upgrading cardiovascular health
Roles of vitamin B in women
Vitamin B complex is very important for pregnant women or those who are breastfeeding. They take part in a child’s brain development process and decrease the chances of birth defects.
Roles of vitamin B in men
The natural testosterone levels in men get reduced with age. Vitamin B helps to elevate that level. They may also play a very important role in muscle and strength building in men.
Types of Vitamin B
There are eight types of vitamin B, which are essential for different functions of our body.
Difference betweeen B Complex and B12
| Vitamin B Complex | Vitamin B12 | |
|---|---|---|
| Types | Vitamin B Complex is a water soluble vitamin which comprises of eight types of vitamin B, which are essential for different functions of our body. | Vitamin B12 is one of the eight B Complex vitamins. B12 is also water-soluble vitamin and is also popularly known as Cobalamin. |
| Deficiency | Vitamin B Complex is not a common type of deficiency in vegans. | Vitamin B12 is the most common type of vitamin deficiency in vegans. |
| Supplements | They may contain all the eight vitamin B complex in one or individual vitamin B supplements | Vitamin B12 are of 4 types, the most stable form of vitamin B12 is Cyanocobalamin. B12 suppplement come in many forms, be it chewable tablets or liquid supplement |
| Benefits | Vitamin B complex plays an essential role in the synthesis of red blood cells and cell metabolism. Also boosts immune system, enhanced energy levels and supports cardiovascular health. | B12 is crucial in the normal functioning of the brain & the nervous system. Also regulates the formation of red blood cells & DNA as well. It supports bone health, prevents osteoporosis & also boost energy |
Vitamin B complex plays an essential role in the synthesis of red blood cells and cell metabolism. There are multiple vitamins in this class that share similar names, but they are individual distinct compounds, such as vitamin B1, B2, B3, B12, etc.
Whereas B12 supplement is one of the eight B Complex vitamins. B12 is a water-soluble vitamin and is also popularly known as Cobalamin. It plays a fundamental role in various chemical reactions that take place in the cells of a human body.
It is crucial for the ideal functioning of the nervous system as it plays an important role in the synthesis of myelin and also in the maturation of red blood cells in the bone marrow.
It is one of the eight B vitamins and it consists numerous chemical-related compounds. In this article, we introduce you to vitamin B12 in detail as it is important thing you need to know before going vegan.
We will include the importance of B12, how to get b12 as a vegan, natural sources of b12, common myths related to it, how much b12 should a vegan take, vitamin b12 foods for vegans and how can you consume this if you are on a vegan diet. So, let’s delve into the article ‘vegan sources of vitamin b12 without supplement’ without further delay.
How much B12 should a Vegan Take?
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the U.S., teens and adults over the age of 14 years should consume 2.4 micrograms daily to maintain an adequate level in their body.
On the other hand, Pregnant women are advised to intake of 2.6 micrograms in a day. The excessive intake of this vitamin is not harmful to the body in any way, but it is advised to consult a doctor before taking B12 supplements.
Anyone on a strict vegan diet, however, should take 250 mcg per day of a vegan B12 supplement since they are at a higher developing b12 deficiencies.
| Age | Male | Female | Pregnancy | Lactation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-6 months* | 0.4 mcg | 0.4 mcg | ||
| 7-12 months* | 0.5 mcg | 0.5 mcg | ||
| 1-3 years | 0.9 mcg | 0.9 mcg | ||
| 4-8 years | 1.2 mcg | 1.2 mcg | ||
| 9-13 years | 1.8 mcg | 1.8 mcg | ||
| 14+ years | 2.4 mcg | 2.4 mcg | 2.6 mcg | 2.8 mcg |
B12 Deficiency Symptoms
The signs and symptoms of b12 deficiency can result in severe and potentially irreversible damage to the brain and nervous system. Even the slightly lower than the normal level, results in some symptoms of b12 deficiency like depression, memory problems, fatigue and confusion, constipation, weight loss and loss of appetite.
These vitamin b12 deficiency symptoms are not enough to diagnose your body. As the reduction level escalates, the individual starts facing tingling sensation in the hands and feet, numbness and difficulty in maintaining balance.
Whereas, on the other hand, infants with Vitamin B12 deficiency may show some unusual movements like face tremors, feeding difficulties, eventual growth problems, irritation as well as reflex problems.
The signs of vitamin b12 deficiency also results in Anemia which can be diagnosed with the symptoms like fatigue, irregular heartbeat and shortness of breath. The individual can also experience weight loss, menstrual problems, diarrhea, pale or yellow skin and a sore mouth or tongue.
Common Myths About Vitamin B12
There are numerous bits of gossip with respect to nutrient B12: a few people say it is only a creation, that it really isn’t required in any way; other individuals state that it is sufficient to eat organic product or unwashed vegetables to take it, or that this nutrient isn’t normally contained in meat.
Here, we have explained several things about these myths and scatter a few fantasies and legends that are spreading through the Web.
An aged soy item was wrongly shown in the past as a solid wellspring of B12, created by microscopic organisms during ageing until they found that the measure of this nutrient not an option to cover the everyday prerequisite.
Actually, nutrient B12 is missing from the plant realm, (an ongoing report shows the dried purple laver, nori, as could be allowed and just source), which clarifies why individuals who have plant-based eating regimen should fundamentally take nutrient B12 supplements.
A common myth that people with plant-based diet have is that it is superfluous to take this nuitrient since it is delivered by microorganisms in the mouth or in the gut, or that it is sufficient to eat products of the soil vegetables.
The facts confirm that a few microbes in the human gut blend cobalamin, yet they are situated in zones where its retention is low and consequently happens in the sums which are not adequate to cover our body needs.
Another well-known myth is that meat doesn’t normally contain nutrient B12, yet this would be included as an enhancement in creature feed, proposing that even those individuals who pursue non-vegetarian eating routine would in a roundabout way accept this nutrient as an enhancement, similarly as veggie lovers do. A long way from it.
Polygastric ruminants (steers, sheep, goats and wild oxen) don’t have to get nutrient B12 and other B nutrients from supplements, since bacterial amalgamation that happens in their intricate stomach related framework, permits the creation of a lot of this nutrient.
This is the motivation behind why meat and dairy items are normally rich in B12. Notwithstanding the endogenous generation, ruminants likewise take nutrient B12 from the utilization of scrounge, silage, feed and grass, loaded with microorganisms that orchestrate it.
Natural Sources of Vitamin B12 and B Complex
There are numerous foods that you can consume to maintain the level of B12 in your body. It is found in dairy products, eggs, mushrooms, algae and many more. You can try out Oyster Mushrooms which are rich in vitamin B12. However, you need to identify the right type of oyster mushroom to get the required nutrition.
And after identifying the right mushroom you can prepare Oyster mushroom recipes with it. You should consume the vitamin b12 foods for vegans throughout your day as B12 is absorbed slowly in the body.
Non Vegan Sources of Vitamin B12
Vegan Sources of Vitamin B12
As per specialists from MIT, B12 is the most synthetically complex all things considered and it is likewise one of the most fundamental for human well-being. As there are limited vegan sources of B12 and, as we discussed earlier, it is an important nutrient and should be taken everyday by individuals.
Vegan B12 Supplements are considered by specialists to be probably the most ideal approaches to get Vitamin B12. Multivitamin tablets and chewy candies are bottomless decisions, yet vegan B12 supplements are additionally accessible in fluid and capsule structure, which you take sublingually (under the tongue).
Sublingual B12 is generally thought to be better consumed by the body, however, studies have demonstrated this is a fantasy. Deva Vegan Vitamins make cherry-enhanced sublingual capsules, Garden of Life makes veggie-lover agreeable cases and fluid B12, MegaFood makes tablets, and Mary Ruth Organics make vegetarian D3+B12 chewy candies.
You ought to consistently consult your doctor before bringing any new supplement into your eating regimen. Here are some vitamin b12 foods for vegans that they can take to avoid Vitamin B12 deficiency.
Final Words
Vitamin B12 is a crucial nutrient that your body needs for the proper functioning of the brain and nervous system. It can be easily found in large amounts in animal-based products like Salmon, tuna, beef, liver, etc. But, sometimes it gets quite daunting to find vitamin b12 foods for vegans as there are less plant-based foods with B12 available in the market today.
We have mentioned some of the fortified products that can be considered under the vegan diet and for the vegetarians. Also, we have compiled some of the good vitamin b12 foods for vegans. If you wish to have some healthy nutrient rich supplement instead, then you can try out vegan BCAA supplements.
Whether you are a vegetarian, non-vegetarian or a vegan, just make sure that you are taking an optimum amount of B12 in your diet as it’s deficiency can lead to some serious health issues or choose an optimal from the top vegan meal plan that provides all the nutrients required in your body.
