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Vegan Foods Tips
Vegan Food for Proper Nutrition: Maintaining B12 Levels
Vegan food is rich in nutrition but because a vegan abstains from all animal products, it is necessary to properly plan and combine foods in order to assure a steady supply of all necessary proteins, vitamins, iron, minerals and proteins. This is easy to do once you understand how. This tip will focus on one of the more common problems encountered by vegans; a vitamin B-12 or cobalamin deficiency.
Vegans are more susceptible to B12 deficiency than other vegetarians because most natural food sources of vitamin B12 are limited to animal based foods such as meats, yogurt, eggs, cheese and liver.
Vitamin B12 maintains nerve cells and red blood cells as well as assists in forming the genetic material of all other cells. A deficiency in B12 can lead to anemia, fatigue, weakness, constipation, and even neurological symptoms.
Fortified cereals are one of the few vegan food choices that provides vitamin B12 and they should be a regular part of the vegan nutrition plan. Strict vegetarians and vegans who do not consume foods that come from plants that are fortified with vitamin B12 need to consider taking a dietary supplement that contains vitamin B12 and should discuss the need for vitamin B12 supplements with their physician.
Follow these three steps to assure you receive the proper levels of B12 when following a strict vegan nutrition plan.
Deliberately search for fortified cereals and other vegan products such as vegan bread or vegan cookies. Include these fortified products in your daily vegan food plan.
Consider supplementing your diet with a B12 vitamin.
Have your B12 levels monitored by your health care provider at least each year. A B12 deficiency can take years to show up but it’s important to identify your B12 levels and avoid a deficiency. If you are pregnant, lactating, elderly, ill or have other special situations then it is advisable to consult with a physician or nutritionist to assure you have proper B12 levels.
