Vegan friends and those looking to make the progression to a whole food, plant-based diet alike, a lot of you have been asking me about my take on vitamin B12.

I have heard some vegans and vegetarians say you don’t need to supplement B12, unless you have an underlying issue.

From the studies I have read, as a vegan, I would take the supplement because the damage is IRREVERSIBLE.

I recommend you have blood work done once a year to see where your numbers fall.

Please note a meat-eater can also be B12 deficient.  At times, malabsorption can be an underlying issue.

Once upon a time, before embracing veganism, I actually had lower B12 levels. The following photo shows my levels from 2002, at a count of 197 pmol/L. Back then, I would eat a lot of red meat with zero processed foods in my diet. Therefore, it’s a myth that carnivores CANNOT be low or deficient in B12.

2002

The photo below is from 2015, and you can see that my B12 levels are at 445 pmol/L.

Typically, these tests are used as the first stage of testing—very low levels (<148 pmol/L) are normally considered to be indicative of deficiency. Sub-clinical deficiency (148–221 pmol/L) requires further testing.

I don’t supplement every day because I have optimal levels, and I understand the principles of orthomolecular medicine (what cells need on a cellular level), so I know exactly what I need to do for myself.

The morale of the story: You need to weight the pros and cons in life and, for mere pennies a day of a B12 supplement, I would not risk the long-term IRREVERSIBLE damages caused by deficiency.

Also make sure you keep copies of your medical records. YOUR BODY, YOUR RESULTS, YOUR LIFE 🙂

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