But juicing is REALLY excellent for my UC.

The juice fills me up, I sleep really well and my bowels are fine in the morning.

One of the major nightmares for me is travelling to work with flared bowels. I often have to stop with “emergency” dashes (which are extremely difficult to do in Sydney rush hour traffic) 3 or 4 times on the way, and the trip can often take over an hour.

If I have juice the night before and that morning, I normally don’t have to stop at all.

Too much raw fibre really sets me off, hence I need the juice instead.

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Glad the juicing is working for you KittyK, whatever works is what you do i think.

I only commented on the juicing coz for me it seemed to suppress my appetite, but appetite probs isnt your prob. I dont have UC, so its hard for me to make good suggestions without suggesting harmful things, simply coz for me i dont have the same issues and may not think about the same possible problems.

This site has a list other vegans have suggested have b12, whether all are human active i dont know.

http://www.veganforum.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=22

All the ones you listed are the common sources. There are some articles around that suggest we may actually produce enough of our own through the small intestine, mouth, but the large intestine which produces the most isnt apparently absorbed. I cant imagine why a part of our body would produce it if it cant be used. The problem is, even if we do produce it, from what i can gather (and i really have read alot on this from all sorts of perspectives) i think we still need to be fairly healthy to absorb it.

I have this theory see, bout the research done on raw vegans, a fair portion of people become raw vegans because they are sick already, so how do we know what came first, the b12 deficiency or the lifestyle. Meaning if some people who come to the lifestyle do so because they are sick theres a fair chance they may have had inadequate b12 before going raw vegan. So the real question is, how many people in those studies were raw vegan for ethics, and how many for health? The even bigger question, what was their b12 status before they went raw vegan?

Its kinda like how the research done on the benefits of moderate alcohol intake are actually a little inaccurate in the fact that alot of people who abstain from drinking do so for health reasons, so the people who had a moderate intake had better health outcomes not because they drank, but because they were already sick (i saw that on catalyst).

Low b12 is a problem in the meat eating community as well, not just in vegans. Even reading the dietary guidelines for australians, the study used to compare b12 status across eating choices only used a small group of vegans compared to a larger group of omnivores, so the finding is worth noting, but its not really set in stone evidence.

I went back to your first post again tonight, sorry never answered your first question. I do get blood tests done regularly, but not coz of how i eat, but because my health is sub par and has been for a while. I dont get everything checked, but basic fatigue markers, and a few common nutrients are tested.

I must say im a little suprised your magnesium was low, because when i did a nutritional analysis recently (for study) magnesium was something i get heaps of. Its possible though your needs are higher if you get a heavy period.

I dont really condone the use of cocoa generally speaking, because it is a stimulant no matter how you look at it, and not ideal for everyone. I personally cant have cocoa, not real good for endometriosis or chronic fatigue, at least it isnt good for mine. But, it is one of the richest sources of magnesium in the world.

Vit D, where do you live? Its hard to go sit out in the cold i agree, but whenever its sunny and your able to, it only takes a brief exposure to get enough vit D.

Personally i prefer sea vegetables as a source of b12, but im not vegan, and do get it through the odd meal i have with eggs or fish. But since i dont eat these often enough to rely on for adequate b12 i do try and consume a bit or sea vegetables (although not as often as i should). Also, home made saurkraut is one i like to do, its not a reliable source, but if i hit the mark occasionally and make some with b12, its bonus for me.

Ive read mixed reports on nori, but from what i can gather, and this is my opinion from what i read, there are human active as well as analogues in it, i dont believe the analogues block absorption, its hype. Also, raw nori is a better source (disclaimer, my own conclusion).

Probiotics may not help you get b12, but i think it does at least make it more likely that when you do consume it, you might absorb it better. I dont like supplements generally speaking, but some have a place, and probiotics i think defo do. I do well taking them.

If you have to take supplements, take them. Your not healthy and no matter how well you eat your needs might be higher than a healthy person. It may be difficult for you to get enough without supplementing considering your condition. Its also possible your not absorbing nutrients as well as others would, so again would make your needs higher. You could try taking digestive enzymes to help with absorption, they might be overkill with raw meals, but maybe helpful for when you have something cooked.

Hope that helps 

As always, I can't resist chiming in on this.


KK, it sounds like you've been doing your homework on B12, and you also have answered your own question. There are many reasons for poor absorption, including genetics and age. If we know we are subject ot any of these, then obviously we should take a supp.. there are vegan B12 supps available.


Kebbster.. for the final word on B12 go to http://www.veganhealth.org/sh

Some Points:

- B12 can be obtained from drinking urine or eating feces (our own that is)
- B12 deficiencies take up to 7 years to develop, so if we feel "B12 deficient" we're most likely confusing B12 with other B group vitamins.. that is, B12 levels can not fluctuate on a day to day basis.. more like weeks or even months.
- The fact that one person in one book tells an anecdote of how their B12 deficiency was cured by Green Smoothies is not evidence.. what is the source of B12 in a GS?
- Unwashed vegies should provide (enough) B12. If they don't, the soil may not be in good health, or the plants may have had insecticide. I believe insect ova and feces are the main source of B12 (and some other B's as well) for vegans in the "sate of nature".

The Orignial Question

KK.. on your original question.. "does any one monitor their B12 levels?" I do.. with MMA and TcHy tests every couple of years.. I'm borderline, and this has not improved over the years on raw (it hasn't gotten very much worse either), so now I take a supplement. But I should say, I'm 48, and we all know that B12 absorption diminishes with age. With Vitamin D, you just have to brave the cold.. get out in the sun.. you only need 10 or 15 minutes and your vit. D is good for the day.

It is not a question of braving the cold, if there is no sun to sit in.

I normally sit in the sun during my lunch break but a number of times in the past fortnight, there hasn’t actually been any sun rays to sit in.

It has been overcast; blacker than a black bulls bum, with black skies / dark clouds threatening rain or hailstones.

As it is, I have just come down with influenza (I knew I should have kept up that orange and lemon juice intake), so sitting outside at the moment would no doubt finish me off all together with pneumonia.

Longing for summer........

good point fbi. i wonder about really small insects that eat only greens? maybe greens and soil bacteria provide enough for them because they're so small?

i'd like to know about kids as i would not like to damage my kids by not giving them b12... my son might eat ants but my daughter definately wouldn't 

could you eat an egg once a week and have enough b12 as was sujested(the vego ate eggs) on the show harley was on where he had the lowest b12 they'ed ever recorded, i think they said...