B12 Archives - Steps to Life

World-renowned figures as diverse as philosophers Plato and Nietzsche, political leaders Benjamin Franklin and Gandhi, and pop icons Paul McCartney and Bob Marley have all advocated a vegetarian diet. Science is also on the side of vegetarianism. Multitudes of studies have demonstrated the remarkable health benefits of a vegetarian diet.

“Vegetarian” is defined as avoiding all animal flesh, including fish and poultry. Vegetarians who avoid flesh, but do eat animal products such as cheese, milk, and eggs, are ovo-lacto-vegetarians (ovo = egg; lacto = milk, cheese, etc.). The ranks of those who abstain from all animal products are rapidly growing; these people are referred to as pure vegetarians or vegans. Scientific research shows that health benefits increase as the amount of food from animal sources in the diet decreases, so vegan diets are the healthiest overall.

Preventing Cancer

Vegetarian diets—naturally low in saturated fat, high in fiber, and replete with cancer-protective phytochemicals—help to prevent cancer. Large studies in England and Germany have shown that vegetarians are about 40 percent less likely to develop cancer compared to meat-eaters.1-3 In the United States, studies of Seventh-day Adventists have shown significant reductions in cancer risk among those who avoided meat.4,5 Similarly, breast cancer rates are dramatically lower in nations, such as China, that follow plant-based diets.6 Interestingly, Japanese women who follow Western-style, meat-based diets are eight times more likely to develop breast cancer than women who follow a more traditional plant-based diet.7 Meat and dairy products contribute to many forms of cancer, including cancer of the colon, breast, ovaries, and prostate.

Harvard studies that included tens of thousands of women and men have shown that regular meat consumption increases colon cancer risk by roughly 300 percent.8,9 High-fat diets also encourage the body’s production of estrogens, in particular, estradiol. Increased levels of this sex hormone have been linked to breast cancer. A recent report noted that the rate of breast cancer among premenopausal women who ate the most animal (but not vegetable) fat was one-third higher than that of women who ate the least animal fat.10 A separate study from Cambridge University also linked diets high in saturated fat to breast cancer.11 One study linked dairy products to an increased risk of ovarian cancer. The process of breaking down the lactose (milk sugar) into galactose evidently damages the ovaries.12 Daily meat consumption triples the risk of prostate enlargement. Regular milk consumption doubles the risk, and failure to consume vegetables regularly nearly quadruples the risk.13

Vegetarians avoid the animal fat linked to cancer and get abundant fiber, vitamins, and phytochemicals that help to prevent cancer. In addition, blood analysis of vegetarians reveals a higher level of “natural killer cells,” specialized white blood cells that attack cancer cells.14

Beating Heart Disease

Vegetarian diets also help prevent heart disease. Animal products are the main source of saturated fat and the only source of cholesterol in the diet. Vegetarians avoid these risky products. Additionally, fiber helps reduce cholesterol levels15 and animal products contain no fiber. When individuals switch to a high-fiber, low-fat diet their serum cholesterol levels often drop dramatically.16,17 Studies have demonstrated that a low-fat, high-fiber, vegetarian or vegan diet combined with stress reduction techniques, smoking cessation, and exercise, or combined with prudent drug intervention, could actually reverse atherosclerosis—hardening of the arteries.18,19 Heart diets that include lean meat, dairy products, and chicken are much less effective, usually only slowing the process of atherosclerosis.

Lowering Blood Pressure

In the early 1900s, nutritionists noted that people who ate no meat had lower blood pressure.20 They also discovered that vegetarian diets could, within two weeks, significantly reduce a person’s blood pressure.21 These results were evident regardless of the sodium levels in the vegetarian diets. People who follow vegetarian diets typically have lower blood pressure.22-24 No one knows exactly why vegetarian diets work so well, but probably cutting out meat, dairy products, and added fats reduces the blood’s viscosity (or “thickness”) which, in turn, brings down blood pressure.25 Plant products are generally lower in fat and sodium and have no cholesterol at all. Vegetables and fruits are also rich in potassium, which helps lower blood pressure.

Preventing and Reversing Diabetes

Non-insulin-dependent (adult-onset) diabetes can be better controlled and sometimes even eliminated through a low-fat, vegetarian diet along with regular exercise.26 Such a diet, low in fat and high in fiber and complex carbohydrates, allows insulin to work more effectively. The diabetic person can more easily regulate glucose levels. While a vegetarian diet cannot eliminate the need for insulin in people with type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes, it can often reduce the amounts of insulin used. Some scientists believe that insulin-dependent diabetes may be caused by an auto-immune reaction to dairy proteins.27,28

Gallstones, Kidney Stones, and Osteoporosis

Vegetarian diets have been shown to reduce one’s chances of forming kidney stones and gallstones. Diets that are high in protein, especially animal protein, tend to cause the body to excrete more calcium, oxalate, and uric acid. These three substances are the main components of urinary tract stones. British researchers have advised that persons with a tendency to form kidney stones should follow a vegetarian diet.29 The American Academy of Family Physicians notes that high animal protein intake is largely responsible for the high prevalence of kidney stones in the United States and other developed countries and recommends protein restriction for the prevention of recurrent kidney stones.30

Similarly, high-cholesterol, high-fat diets—the typical meat-based diet—are implicated in the formation of gallstones. The consumption of meaty diets, compared to vegetarian diets, has been shown to nearly double the risk of gallstones in women.31

For many of the same reasons, vegetarians are at a lower risk for osteoporosis. Since animal products force calcium out of the body, eating meat can promote bone loss. In nations with mainly vegetable diets (and without dairy product consumption), osteoporosis is less common than in the United States, even when calcium intake is also less than in the United States.32 Calcium is important, but there is no need to get calcium from dairy products. . . .

Asthma

A 1985 Swedish study demonstrated that individuals with asthma practicing a vegan diet for a full year have a marked decrease in the need for medications and in the frequency and severity of asthma attacks. Twenty-two of the 24 subjects reported improvement by the end of the year.33

Common Concerns

Some people still worry about whether a vegetarian diet can provide all essential nutrients. However, it is very easy to have a well-balanced diet with vegetarian foods, since these foods provide plenty of protein. Careful combining of foods is not necessary. Any normal variety of plant foods provides more than enough protein for the body’s needs. Although there is somewhat less protein in a vegetarian diet than a meat-eater’s diet, this is actually an advantage. Excess protein has been linked to kidney stones, osteoporosis, and possibly heart disease and some cancers. A diet focused on beans, whole grains, and vegetables contains adequate amounts of protein without the “overdose” most meat-eaters get.

Calcium is easy to find in a vegetarian diet. Many dark green leafy vegetables and beans are loaded with calcium, and some orange juices, non-dairy “milks,” and cereals are calcium-fortified. Iron is plentiful in whole grains, beans, and fruits.

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is a genuine issue for vegans, although very easy to deal with. Found mainly in animal products, small amounts may be found in plant products due to bacterial contamination.34, 35 However, these plant and fermented foods, such as spirulina, sea vegetables, tempeh, and miso, do not provide an active and reliable source,36 so vitamin B12 must be obtained elsewhere in the diet. Regular intake of vitamin B12 is important to meet nutritional needs. Good sources include all common multiple vitamins (including vegetarian vitamins), fortified cereals, nutritional yeast, and fortified soymilk. It is especially important for pregnant women, breast-feeding mothers, and children to get enough vitamin B12.

Special Concerns: Pregnancy, Infants, and Children

During pregnancy, nutritional needs increase. The American Dietetic Association has found vegan diets adequate for fulfilling nutritional needs during pregnancy, but pregnant women and nursing mothers should supplement their diets with vitamins B12 and D.36 Most doctors also recommend that pregnant women supplement their diet with iron and folic acid, although vegetarians normally consume more folic acid than meat-eaters.

Vegetarian women have a lower incidence of pre-eclampsia in pregnancy and significantly more pure breast milk. Analyses of vegetarians’ breast milk show that the levels of environmental contaminants in their milk are much lower than in non-vegetarians.37 Studies have also shown that in families with a history of food allergies, when women abstain from allergenic foods, including milk, meat, and fish, during pregnancy, they are less likely to pass allergies onto the infant.38 Mothers who drink milk pass cow antibodies along to their nursing infants through their breast milk. These antibodies can cause colic.

Vegetarian children also have high nutritional needs, but these are met within a vegetarian diet. A vegetarian menu is life extending. As young children, vegetarians may grow more gradually, reach puberty somewhat later, and live substantially longer than do meat-eaters. . . .

References

Salie F. Influence of vegetarian food on blood pressure. Med Klin 1930;26:929-31.
Donaldson AN. The relation of protein foods to hypertension. Calif West Med 1926;24:328-31.
Rouse IL, Beilin LJ. Editorial review: vegetarian diet and blood pressure. J Hypertension 1984;2:231-40.
Lindahl O, Lindwall L, Spangberg A, Stenram A, Ockerman PA. A vegan regimen with reduced medication in the treatment of hypertension. Br J Nutr 1984;52:11-20.
Appleby PN, Davey GK, Key TJ. Hypertension and blood pressure among meat eaters, fish eaters, vegetarians and vegans in EPIC-Oxford. Public Health Nutr 2002;5:645-54.
Ernst E, Pietsch L, Matrai A, Eisenberg J. Blood rheology in vegetarians. Br J Nutr 1986;56:555-60.
Nicholson AS, Sklar M, Barnard ND, et al. Toward improved management of NIDDM: A randomized, controlled, pilot intervention using a low-fat, vegetarian diet. Prev Med 1999;29:87-91.
Scott FW. Cow milk and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus: is there a relationship? Am J Clin Nutr 1990;51:489-91.
Karjalainen J, Martin JM, Knip M, et al. A bovine albumin peptide as a possible trigger of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. N Engl J Med 1992;327:302-7.
Robertson WG, Peacock M, Heyburn PJ. Should recurrent calcium oxalate stone formers become vegetarians? Br J Urol 1979;51:427-31.
Goldfarb DS, Coe FL. Prevention of Recurrent Nephrolithiasis. Am Fam Physician 1999;60:2269–76.
Pixley F, Wilson D, McPherson K, Mann J. Effect of vegetarianism on development of gall stones in women. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1985;291:11-2.
Hegsted DM. Calcium and osteoporosis. J Nutr 1986;116:2316-9.
Lindahl O, Lindwall L, Spangberg A, Stenram A, Ockerman PA. Vegan regimen with reduced medication in the treatment of bronchial asthma. J Asthma 1985;22:45-55.
Herbert V. Vitamin B-12: plant sources, requirements, and assay. Am J Clin Nutr 1988;48:852-8.
Rauma A, Torronen R, Hanninen O, Mykkanen H. Vitamin B-12 status of long-term adherents of a strict uncooked vegan diet (“living food diet”) is compromised. J Nutr 1995;125:2511-5.
Position of the American Dietetic Association: vegetarian diets. J Amer Diet Assoc 2003;103(6):748-765.
Hergenrather J, Hlady G, Wallace B, Savage E. Pollutants in breast milk of vegetarians (letter). N Engl J Med 1981;304:792.
Allergies in infants are linked to mother’s diets. New York Times, 30 August 1990.

The B-vitamin family truly is just that—a family—and they are really busy. The B’s have a role in more than 50 different body processes! Each one performs a vital role independently, but the body also depends on them to work together to maintain vital body functions. Take the heart for example—it depends on folic acid (or B⁹), pyridoxine (B⁶), and cobalamin (B¹²), for optimal health. The job that B¹² does cannot be done by two B⁶. The body needs both of them. This group of vitamins carries many important responsibilities from assisting in cell growth and reproduction to breaking food down into a fuel usable by the body.

Each of the B vitamins has an accompanying number—why? These numbers serve no other purpose than for identification. The first B vitamin was called water-soluble B. The second B recognized was riboflavin, or B², hence the 2. Thus a system was developed—a faulty system however, because later in 1926, B¹ was found to actually be two separate vitamins. Since thiamin was already named and there was a preexisting B², niacin took the vacant slot of B³. As more B’s were found, more numbers proceeded them. Once again, though, the system was proven inadequate since scientists discovered that some of the ‘vitamins’ they named with the B group were not really vitamins at all but wholly different substances, hence the missing B⁴, B⁸, B¹⁰, and B¹¹.

Here is an abbreviated rundown, starting with B¹, of the B-family and their most recognized roles in the human body.

Thiamine (B¹): Sometimes called aneurin, is responsible for keeping the body’s cells working properly. Nerve and brain cells particularly benefit from B¹. The body also needs thiamine to convert food into a fuel that the body can use.

Riboflavin (B²): Works with B¹ to release energy from food. It is necessary for creation of hormones, normal body growth, and red blood cells.

Niacin (B³): This B-member wears many hats, having a hand in over 50 different body functions; from releasing energy from food to detoxifying chemicals.

Pantothenic Acid (B⁵): Your body needs B⁵ to make vitamin D, hormones, and red blood cells. In addition to this, it also serves as a helper to several of the other B’s to turn fats, proteins, and carbohydrates into energy.

Pyridoxine (B⁶): The human body needs over 50,000 different proteins to operate properly. We turn to B⁶ to help the amino acids fill these many positions.

Biotin (B⁷): Sometimes known as vitamin H, it is also involved in breaking down carbohydrates, proteins, and fats into a usable energy for the body.

Folic Acid (B⁹): First and foremost, B⁹ helps cells grow and divide properly. This means, for pregnant women, folic acid is essential for the prevention of birth defects. Additionally, it helps to keep veins and arteries open which, in turn, lowers chances of related health issues. It also has a hand in making chemicals in the body that control things like sleep patterns, mood, and appetite.

Cobalamin (B¹²): Although that scrape on your knee feels like raw nerves, those nerve cells actually have a protective covering that are formed by B¹². Cobalamin helps with the other B’s in the fueling of the body from food.

The B-family has some closely related relatives that almost made the cut to become part of the group, but the body normally makes them in high enough quantity to supply need: choline, which the brain uses to store memories; inositol, helps make healthy cell membranes; lipoic acid works hand in hand with the B’s to convert food into energy, is a great antioxidant, and works to help the body get more use out of vitamins C and E; and lastly, PABA (Para-aminobenzoic acid) helps protect the skin from UV rays (it is commonly found in sunscreens).

As with most vitamins and minerals, there is much controversy over the amounts of the B vitamins that we ought to take in each day. Like vitamin C, the B’s are also water-soluble so they need to be replenished through diet or supplements on a regular basis. The daily recommended intake has changed several times, being lowered in the late 1980’s and then raised again in the 1990’s. Much to the chagrin of dieticians and nutritionists, though, the recommended intake was not raised to the levels that most were seeing that their patients needed. Most believe that higher levels of intake would do much good for overall health, especially of folic acid. Vitamin B deficiency is generally acknowledged in older patients even with the recommended daily dosages. Because vitamin B plays such a huge role in the development and division of cells during the years of major growth (0-25), it is imperative that there is an ample supply of vitamin B. As the body develops from infancy to childhood to puberty to adulthood the need for vitamin B only increases as the body goes through its changes before reaching a plateau. Women who are pregnant also require higher levels of vitamin B. After all, they are eating for two!

Some people may need to be extra aware of getting the levels of vitamin B in their systems. Those who drink alcohol may need a higher intake since alcohol blocks the body from using the vitamin B and also excretes it faster. Elderly people also absorb less and often do not get adequate nourishment to begin with. Smokers have the same issue as someone who uses alcohol; their bodies do not absorb vitamins properly. Those with digestive issues and special diets may also need to monitor closely their vitamin levels more so than usual.

Vitamin B, for the most part, is easily obtained through a proper diet. Thiamine is found in peanut butter, oranges, beans, wheat germ, and grains. Riboflavin is in dairy products, beans, nuts, avocado, leafy vegetables, and beets. These foods are also good sources of Niacin, and folic acid. Pantothenic Acid is in whole grains and nuts. Peas, bananas, potatoes, beans, and avocado are good foods to eat to get pyridoxine. Oatmeal, bananas, and peanut butter are great for Biotin. Cobalamin is found mainly in dairy so those who practice a vegan diet must be aware of this.

There are many benefits of keeping the B’s replenished in bounty. A study conducted in 1995 by the New England Journal of Medicine showed that people with high levels of vitamin B lowered the levels of homocysteine in the blood. (People with high levels of homocysteine are at greater risk of stroke and heart disease.) The people in the study with the highest levels of vitamin B were 50% less likely to suffer from either stroke or heart disease; whereas those with lower levels of vitamin B had higher homocysteine levels in their blood and twice as likely to suffer from either one! The lower levels of homocysteine and higher B’s also raise the strength of bones. Niacin is used in prescription drugs to lower cholesterol. One in four people who are hospitalized for depression are seriously low in pyridoxine and cobalamin. Pyridoxine, folic acid, and cobalamin are important for the immune system as they assist in making the white blood cells that constitute it.

See a reference table for the current vitamin B RDA’s (recommended daily allowance).

Obviously, the recommended daily allowances for the B vitamins are very small. However, no matter how small, it is easy to see how vital these amounts are to the body and its ability to operate. As was mentioned before, most nutritionists and health experts are quite dissatisfied with these low numbers. The best option would be to consult with your physician to decipher what is best for you.

We have only one life and one body on loan to us. No one would borrow another’s property and destroy it. When we become aware of the fact that our beings are the property of our heavenly Father, the careful care of His property becomes important to us. Awareness of what the body needs allows us to put the optimal effort into our lives for good health. God is the key to an enriching life.

Restoring the Temple – Vegetarian Foods, Powerful for Health Part II