New here and question about Vit B12

[Frieda]

Hello, my name is Frieda.I am from Belgium,  am getting 50 years old on the 6th of july and I decided this is a good moment to take better care of my health and my food. Since a few weeks I am trying to go raw and mostly (if I don't have a social gathering or something like that) I am able to stick pretty well on it.

I am a single woman (divorced), so that might help-> i mean being single, not being divorced :-), I got rid of all the junkfood and replaced it by healthy (raw) alternatives.

The  fact that is worrying me wright now is if I will get enough vitamine B 12 if I follow a 100% raw foodstyle?

The only resource I know that has some vit B12 in it appart from meat is nutritional yeast. But that is something I don't use on a daily bases for the moment. Should I use it daily ? Are there other ways to get some viamine B12?

Are there other people worrying about this?

Can people who are raw since a longer time tell me if they had any issues with the B12 and what they did to solve the problem.

I am sorry for asking so many questions but I want to do it good from the first time and feel myself super lucky to have found RFR and the big source of knowlidge it represents!

[Cindy Geib]

Hi Frieda, you can use a supplement for B12 or spirulina, barley grass or other seaweeds will help you out with keeping the levels adequate . Hope this helps you out some,... online there are many vegan sites that can give you the full lists! :)))

[Frieda]

Thank you for your input Cindy, didn't know about the barley grass , spirulina and seaweeds... would like to avoid the B12 supplements as I am not sure weather they are processed or not. On vegan sites (here in Europe) they mostly tell to take the supplements so that doesn't help me too much...

[Cathy Sykora]

I couldn't get enough b12. I had to start eating meat again. I was getting shots because I tested so low and just decided it wasn't worth it. I don't eat very much and I still don't eat dairy. I couldn't eat nutritional yeast. I had a bad reaction. You should have your blood tested for awhile to be sure you are getting enough. The pills don't work...the patches are sometimes good. B12 is really important.

[Wendy Geesey]

A lot of people who are B12 deficient have a very hard time absorbing supplements- shots seems to work well, however there is a supplement on Amazon dot com that has gotten fantastic reviews- one guy who took shots had a higher blood test reading from taking the supplement!! in the amazon search box type in "Pure Vegan B-12 Methlcobalamin spray" and you will find it. It is in my cart now waiting for me to check out! ;)

[Betty]

Hello Frieda my name is Betty .

I am from the Netherlands nice to meet you .

[Frieda]

Yes Cathy, I know that B12 is very important, that is why it is worrying me :-)

Cathy Sykora said:

I couldn't get enough b12. I had to start eating meat again. I was getting shots because I tested so low and just decided it wasn't worth it. I don't eat very much and I still don't eat dairy. I couldn't eat nutritional yeast. I had a bad reaction. You should have your blood tested for awhile to be sure you are getting enough. The pills don't work...the patches are sometimes good. B12 is really important.

[Frieda]

Thank you.This sounds interesting Wendy! I will check it out. Just for the record: I am not B12 deficient, I am just worried to become it if I don't eat any meat anymore..

Wendy Geesey said:

A lot of people who are B12 deficient have a very hard time absorbing supplements- shots seems to work well, however there is a supplement on Amazon dot com that has gotten fantastic reviews- one guy who took shots had a higher blood test reading from taking the supplement!! in the amazon search box type in "Pure Vegan B-12 Methlcobalamin spray" and you will find it. It is in my cart now waiting for me to check out! ;)

[Frieda]

Hey hello Betty, Nice to meet a neighbour here!
Is it ok if I invite you as a friend?
Betty said:

Hello Frieda my name is Betty .

I am from the Netherlands nice to meet you .

[Wendy Geesey]

If your levels are good it can take a long time to deplete- I've heard even a year or two- but yes, it's still something to be concerned about, I agree. I take both D and B12 supplements- both are not available in the raw vegan lifestyle (apart from sunshine for D, but lots of days I don't get any).