A Crucial (Low-Cost) Supplement Absolutely Necessary for Vegetarians (and Vegans)
No, it’s not creatine, whey/vegan protein, multivitamin, or fish oil
“Where’s all this fatigue and brain fogginess coming from?” I wondered.
I’d quit meat out of an inner realization. Finding out that the poultry industry grinds male chicks to death made me quit eggs.
Paneer and whey protein saved my muscles — but my energy and clarity?
No amount of leafy greens, crunchy nuts, and colorful fruits could pull them back up.
It took diving down subreddits and logging my diet in Cronometer to find out why.
My vitamin B12 intake was only 8% of the recommended daily target!
You’re likely B12-deficient, too — unless you’re an “eggitarian” who downs 6 whole eggs daily…
And this deficiency has some serious (short and long-term) consequences.
The Sheer Cruciality and Rarity of Vitamin B12
Unlike most vitamins, B12 is barely found in plant sources. The few sources?
- Nutritional Yeast —that’s super-expensive (in some countries) with a bland cheesy taste.
- Milk and dairy products — 68% of us have lactose malabsorption (and/or intolerance). Even then, you’d need to drink 1L+ of milk daily to hit the B12 target.
- Fortified cereals — “fortified” with sugars and other processed crap.
- Fermented soy products — which are rich in phytoestrogens (that can reduce your Testosterone levels).
Crucial P.S. If you have pernicious anemia, Crohn’s disease, alcohol addiction, or immune disorders, EVEN getting “enough” B12 won’t help . as your body won’t absorb it effectively.
To worsen things, Vitamin B12 deficiency has dangerous health effects.
It’s “only” fatigue, lightheadedness, pale skin, and tingling in the short term.
But in the long run, Vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to irreparable nerve damage!
Such neuropathy can (rarely) lead to vision loss as well. Memory loss, heart palpitations, and depression are more common.
None of This Is to Freak You Out…
It’s to drive home the sheer necessity of vitamin B12 (supplementation).
It takes years and decades of chronic B12 deficiency for its most lethal effects to manifest…
But this doesn’t mean you stay complacent. Because…
ANY (little) nerve damage from B12 deficiency is permanent.
Start supplementing B12 today — vitamin B12 pills are way cheaper than fortified cereals or nutritional yeast.
The best part?
Vitamin B12 is water-soluble — so even if you “over-dose”, your body will flush it out.
P.S. In ultra-high doses, even water-soluble vitamins are dangerous. So, don’t deliberately overdose. Match the dosage values of the nutrition label with the recommended doses.
So, even if you eat nutritional yeast, seaweed, and eggs, supplement B12.
At worst, your body will flush it out.
At best? It’ll prevent (irreparable) nerve damage, peripheral neuropathy, and brain decline.
Godspeed, and stay healthy!
