Fw: [raw-foods] Re:Vegan diet and B-12 Deficiant Babies - Check this out Mark

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carlo7

raw-foods

Monday, February 03, 2003 10:22 AM

[raw-foods] Re:Vegan diet and B-12 Deficiant Babies - Check this out

Mark

 

 

Do Vegan Diets Result in Sick B-12-Deficient Babies?

 

http://www.notmilk.com/vitaminb12lies.html

 

Last week, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced

the results of a two-year-old study, consisting of a

population of only two subjects. That's a study? That

barely qualifies for anecdotal evidence. As a matter of

fact, in this outrageous case, the jump to conclusions

was a leap of bad faith having nothing to do with actual

details.

 

<http://story.news./fc?

cid=34 & tmpl=fc & in=Health & cat=Diet_and_Nutrition >

 

CDC should control the release of misleading and deceptive

headlines. In this instance, CDC's lie resulted in page-1 news.

 

According to their biased and unfounded interpretation,

breast-fed infants of vegan mothers develop brain abnormalities.

 

Dr. Maria Elena Jefferds of CDC reported that because

vegan mothers eat no animal or dairy products, too little

Vitamin B-12 reaches their growing infants.

 

Jefferds was aware that one of the mothers was actually

taking TwinLab Stress B Complex Caps, containing 250 mcg

of cobalamin concentrate, according to the label.

 

Jefferds' study includes a recommended dose of less than

1/2 microgram per day for a child under the age of six months.

In fact, Table number two of her paper recommends 2.4 micrograms

of B-12 for adults, 2.6 micrograms of B-12 for pregnant

mothers, and 2.8 micrograms of B-12 for nursing mothers.

This was clearly not a case of a mother taking too little

B-12. This was a case of a child, or children, not being

able to process Vitamin B-12.

 

In addition to her study, Jefferds editorialized the

negative impact that vegan diets have on infants. The

problem is one of deception. You see, both mothers

had been taking Vitamin B-12 supplements throughout

their pregnancy and during their nursing periods.

 

Jeffords' 2001 study was published two years after the

fact, in the January 31, 2003 issue of CDC's Morbidity

and Mortality report (52:61-64). The actual study:

 

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5204a1.htm

 

Remarkably, both children were treated in genetic clinics

by physicians who specialize in genetic disorders. Apparently,

these two infants were affected by a rare set of circumstances

in which they were unable to adequately utilize existing B-12.

Despite the representations made by headline-writers, one mother

was not a strict vegetarian, often eating fish, chicken, and

beef. The first mother had a difficult pregnancy, complicated

by prolonged nausea and vomiting. How can this be blamed

on B-12 deficiency, when she was getting more than the

required amount of B-12 through her supplement?

 

Her child was born with extreme cerebral cortical atrophy,

despite the fact that the mother was taking a B-12 enriched

vitamin pill. Jefferds' actual publication admits that

this mom was taking vitamins, but neglects to analyze the

actual B-12 level. Amazing. Instead, the author jumps to

her very biased conclusions concerning vegan diets.

 

After the child was hospitalized, she was given Vitamin

B-12 orally and intramuscularly. Three days later, the

infant experienced epileptic seizures. This was a child

who could not process Vitamin B-12. Subsequent brain scans

revealed cerebral cortical atrophy.

 

The second child had been given cow's milk-based formula, with

small amounts of fish, meat, and cheese. In no way could this

be considered a vegan diet.

 

His mother took Twinlab B complex vitamins during pregnancy.

These vitamins contained concentrated amounts of B-12. She was

vegan, and she was taking a source of B-12. On this rare occasion,

her child, like the first one, could not process the

exogenous B-12. Blaming this on a vegan diet is irresponsible.

 

The prevalence of Vitamin B-12 deficiency for children under

the age of 4 years is so rare that it is unique. No such studies

appear in the medical literature for one very good reason. The

theory is that the human placenta absorbs B-12 from the lower

intestinal tract. Children will store B-12 in their livers,

so B-12 deficiencies are unheard of, because they are so rare.

Of course, in cases of genetics, anything can happen.

 

In 1996, Victor Herbert determined that B-12 deficiency is

rare among vegans, even though most do not take supplemental

B-12. His landmark work was published in the American

Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 59(suppl), pp. 1213S-1222S.

Herbert wrote:

 

" To a great extent, B-12 is recycled from liver bile in

the digestive system...The enterohepatic circulation of

vitamin B-12 is very important in vitamin B-12 economy

and homeostasis...bodies reabsorb 3-5 mcg of bile vitamin

B-12. Because of this, an efficient enterohepatic circulation

keeps the adult vegan, who eats very little vitamin B-12,

from developing B-12 deficiency disease... "

 

Ignoring the above evidence, Jefferds writes:

 

" Persons who follow vegetarian diets should ensure

adequate cobalamin (B-12) intake. "

 

This scientist is aware that both mothers

did just that by taking supplements. Her written

statement was irresponsibly made.

 

Jefferds adds:

 

" The only reliable unfortified sources are animal

products, including meat, dairy products, and eggs. "

 

Pure unethical nonsense. The study and its conclusions

and the media coverage are deceptive, at the very least.

 

I reached Dr. Jefferds at her home on Saturday, a few

minutes after the space shuttle disaster. I took careful

notes of our conversation. Although she informed me

that she was packing to go on a trip, we did spend about

ten minutes on the phone, having a cordial and detailed

conversation. I asked:

 

" Were you surprised about the media response to your study? "

 

She said, " Very much so. We reported our findings and intended

for them to be received in a much broader perspective. "

 

I commented:

 

" Aren't you aware that in utero, the fetal human absorbs

vitamin B-12 through the placenta, which in turn absorbs

B-12 from the lower intestinal tract? "

 

She responded,

 

" Oh, of course I am aware of that, but the medical

literature does not reveal the amounts that are absorbed,

nor do we have universal standards. Our knowledge is

lacking, and more investigation is called for. "

 

I asked,

 

" The mothers were both taking B-12 during their

pregnancies and during breastfeeding. Did you determine

exactly what pill the first mother was taking? "

 

Her response:

 

" No, we did not determine that. "

 

I then asked:

 

" It is clear that the second mother was taking 250 micrograms

of B-12 each day. Is it your conclusion that exogenous B-12

in pill form does not work? "

 

Her response:

 

" I am not a clinician. You should speak to one of

my co-authors, Paul Fernhoff, MD. I will have him get

in touch with you. " Dr. Fernhoff is a clinical geneticist,

practicing in Atlanta, Georgia. If and when Dr. Fernhoff

calls, I will clue you in on his responses to my questions.

 

Robert Cohen

 

 

 

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