The Vegan Life

Vitamin B-12 essential to good health. It functions in the formation of red cells, the synthesis of DNA, the operation of the nervous system, and in fat and protein metabolism. Plant foods do not contain B-12. Therefore , If you are following a plant-based diet, you should take steps to make certain that you get enough of this essential vitamin.

"The fact that the plants we eat lack vitamin B-12 is not a sign that we need to eat animal foods. Neither plants nor animals synthesize this vitamin-it is made by bacteria. It just happens that animals and their food are contaminated with B-12-producing bacteria. Our plant foods may also be contaminated by these bacteria, but we generally wash away the vitamin B-12 during food preparation."-Becoming Vegan, The Complete Guide to Adopting a Healthy Plant-Based Diet, by Brenda Davis, R.D. & Vesanto Melina, M.S., R.D., published 2000 by Book Publishing Company, Summertown, Tenn, page 15

Be Sure That You Have a Reliable Source of Vitamin B12.

The following information comes from the web site of Virginia Messina, MPH RD (http://vegrd.vegan.com/pages/article.php?id=104), posted Nov. 6, 2000.

"Be sure you are meeting the RDA for vitamin B12, which is 2.0 micrograms per day and 2.4 micrograms for people over the age of 50. You don’t need to take a B12 pill every single day; averaging this out over time is okay. But don’t make the mistake of taking a pill that contains 50 micrograms of B12 and thinking you’ll be okay for the next month or so. We absorb only a small amount of B12 from these huge doses. Look for the smallest dose of B12 you can find–it’s difficult to find any that are lower than 25 micrograms–and take it two to three times per week. In addition, you can also get B12 from foods that are fortified with it. Many breakfast cereals are and so are some brands of soymilk and meat analogs."

"Overt B12 deficiency does take some time to develop and it’s unlikely that vegans would see any real symptoms within the first couple of years of deficiency. However, if someone has been a lacto-ovo vegetarian for many years and has now adopted a vegan diet, it doesn’t hurt to have B12 status measured, just to make sure there is no problem. Older people who have adopted a vegan diet may also want to talk to their physician about this, since subtle B12 deficiency can be a problem in this group."

Meat analogs are the "fake" meats, such as veggie dogs and veggie "chicken" that you find in supermarkets and health food stores. Check the labels to make sure they are fortified with B-12 before you rely on them as B-12 sources.


The following cautions can be found at http://www.veganhealth.org/

* Do not rely on any seaweed (e.g., algae, nori, spirulina), brewer's yeast, tempeh, or "living" vitamin supplement that uses plants as a source of B12.

* Do not rely solely on one type of fortified food such as Red Star Nutritional Yeast.

* Vegan infants: The Institute of Medicine recommends that infants of vegan mothers be supplemented with B12 from birth because their stores at birth and their mother's milk supply may be low.

* Exceptions: People with digestive or malabsorption diseases (such as pernicious anemia), chronic kidney failure, B12 metabolism defects, or cyanide metabolism defects should consult a bona fide health professional.

Recommended websites for more information about vegan nutrition:

Recommended books:

Becoming Vegan, The Complete Guide to Adopting a Healthy Plant-Based Diet, by Brenda Davis, R.D. & Vesanto Melina, M.S., R.D., published 2000 by Book Publishing Company

A Basic Course in Vegetarian and Vegan Nutrition, by George Eisman, M.A., M.Sc., R.D., Published by DIET-ETHICS, 3835 route 414, Burdett, NY 14818, distributed by The Vegetarian and Vegan Association, 427 Franklin Street, Waltkins Glen NY 14891, (607) 535-7892

What’s For Dinner?

I found the following recipe in Conveniently Vegan, Turn Packaged Foods Into Delicious Vegetarian Dishes, by Debra Wasserman, published by the Vegetarian Resource Group, Baltimore, Maryland, page 110. This is quick, easy, and delicious.

Spicy Mandarin Chick Peas
serves 4

Two (19-oz.) cans chick peas, rinsed and drained

Two (10.5-oz.) cans Mandarin oranges, drained

1/4 cup strawberry jam

2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard

½ teaspoon cayenne

Heat all the ingredients in a medium-size pot over medium heat for 10 minutes. Serve warm over rice.

This is good, also, placed in a blender, blended to a chunky paste and served on crackers or as a dip for vegetables. if you like it less sweet and more spicy, double the amount of spicy mustard.
********************************************************************************
"Virtually all U.S. birds are factory farmed. Inside the densely populated buildings, where they are confined their entire lives, enormous amounts of waste accumulate. Manure fumes can cause eye and respiratory infections and other diseases."

"Egg laying hens packed in cages (typically less than half a square inch of floor space per bird), hens can become immobilized and die of asphyxiation or dehydration. Decomposing corpses are found in cages with live birds"- from Why Vegan, a booklet published by vegan outreach, page 3 mailto:www.vegan@veganOutreach.org, , or call 412-968-0268.

********************************************************************************
"All beings seek for happiness; so let your compassion extend itself to all."-Mahavamsa
********************************************************************************