Vitamin B12 and Brain Damage

[Guest guest]

April 2, 2003

NUTRITION NEWS FOCUS

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Today's Topic: Vitamin B12 and Brain Damage

 

Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) is required for proper development and

function of nerve tissue. A sad reminder of this fact were reports

that two children breastfed by mothers who followed vegetarian diets

had serious developmental delays and what appear to be permanent

damage.

 

Two children between one and three years of age were diagnosed with

failure to grow normally and neurologic deficiencies. These were

traced to severe vitamin B12 deficiency as a result of their mothers'

low B12 status. The cases were described in the January 31, 2003

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report published by the U.S. Centers

for Disease Control and Prevention.

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

 

HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Although vitamin B12 deficiency

this severe is rare, it indicates that even in the U.S., this still

exists in severe form almost entirely in strict vegetarians. It is

easily avoided with use of supplemental vitamins since the only food

sources of B12 are from meat, dairy and eggs. There are claims of

amounts from soil on vegetables, but this is really from the bacteria

on the foods and these should be washed off prior to consumption to

avoid food poisoning.

 

 

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