Almost every time I tell someone I’m a vegetarian, they look at me for a second—trying to process what I just said—and then ask “WHAT? Wh y?” I used to take the time to really explain my reasons, not hoping that I’d convince others to become one as well, but secretly wishing that I could at least get them to understand. I never really succeeded at this, and therefore, have stuck to the short version of my answer “I d o it for the ani- |
A few days ago, my mom went to the doctor to get a blood check, and it showed that she was low on Vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 “helps in th cells that carry oxygen around the body, and people who are low in supply of it often feel tired.” It’s like the energy vitamin, and it’s only present in natural form from animal sources of food.
e pr od uc tio n of healthy red blood
My first reaction after reading this was Google. The first page I opened showed symptoms of B12 deficiency, number 8 was tingling in your extremities. I kept reading...
“If left untreated, B12 deficiency can lead to anemia, as well as nerve and brain damage, which may eventually become irreversible.”
“A severe vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to deep depression, paranoia and delusions, memory loss, incontinence, loss of taste and smell, and more.”
It’s no surprise that this vitamin deficiency is extremely common in strict vegetarians and vegans. According to a research published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, out of 174 “healthy” people living in Germany and Netherlands, 92% of the vegans had vitamin B12 deficiency. “Two in three people who followed a vegetarian diet that included milk and eggs as their only animal foods also were deficient. But only 5% of those who consumed meats had vitamin B12 deficiency.”
My conclusion is that it is. It is possible. But the trick to it is being extremely aware. Aware of what your body needs and how it feels. During the school year—as bad as this may sound—my diet is not my number one concern. I’m usually running from place to place, and grab whatever I find to eat, oblivious as to whether I’m consuming enough protein, B12, zinc, iron, etc.
Although I’ve gotten no tingling foot like my mom, for the past month, my energy level has been on a low, and I’ve been feeling weak at times. I haven’t done a blood test, so I don’t know whether this is due to a B12 deficiency, or not, but until I have the time and take the responsibility to carefully balance a healthy vegetarian diet, I think it’s best that I remain a pescatarian (even though I’m not a fish fan!).