QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Rauma, A.-L. Articles by Mykkänen, H. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Rauma, A.-L. Articles by Mykkänen, H.

Vitamin B-12 Status of Long-Term Adherents of a Strict Uncooked Vegan Diet ("Living Food Diet") Is Compromised^1,2,

Departments of Clinical Nutrition ^* Physiology, University of Kuopio, FIN-70211, Kuopio, Finland

The present study examined the vitamin B-12 status in long-term adherents of a strict uncooked vegan diet called the "living food diet." The study was comprised of two parts. In the cross-sectional part, the data on serum vitamin B-12 concentrations and dietary intakes in 21 (1 male, 20 females) long-term adherents (mean 5.2 y, range 0.7–14) of the "living food diet" were compared with those of 21 omnivorous controls matched for sex, age, social status and residence. In the longitudinal part of the study, food consumption data were collected and blood samples were taken from nine "living food eaters" (1 male, 8 females) on two occasions 2 y apart. The cross-sectional study revealed significantly (P < 0.001, paired t test) lower serum vitamin B-12 concentrations in the vegans (mean 193 pmol/L, range 35–408) compared with their matched omnivorous controls (311, 131–482). In the vegan group, total vitamin B-12 intake correlated significantly (r = 0.63, P < 0.01) with serum vitamin B-12 concentration. The vegans consuming Nori and/or Chlorella seaweeds (n = 16) had serum vitamin B-12 concentrations twice as high as those not using these seaweeds (n = 5) (mean 221 pmol/L, range 75–408, vs. 105, 35–252, P = 0.025). In the longitudinal study, six of nine vegans showed slow, but consistent deterioration of vitamin B-12 status over a 2-y observation period. On the basis of these results we conclude that some seaweeds consumed in large amounts can supply adequate amounts of bioavailable vitamin B-12. However, the average use of seaweeds and fermented foods by "living food eaters" will not supply enough vitamin B-12 to maintain the body vitamin B-12 status.

KEY WORDS: • vegan • vitamin B-12 • raw food • humans • fermented food • seaweed

¹ Supported by the Wihuri Foundation and by the Finnish Cultural Foundation.

² The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked "advertisement" in accordance with 18 USC section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.

³ To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Manuscript received 31 January 1995. Revision accepted 18 April 1995.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				F. Watanabe Vitamin B12 Sources and Bioavailability Experimental Biology and Medicine, November 1, 2007; 232(10): 1266 - 1274. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. M von Castel-Roberts, A. L. Morkbak, E. Nexo, C. A Edgemon, D. R Maneval, J. J Shuster, J. F Valentine, G. P. Kauwell, and L. B Bailey Holo-transcobalamin is an indicator of vitamin B-12 absorption in healthy adults with adequate vitamin B-12 status Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, April 1, 2007; 85(4): 1057 - 1061. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Verhagen, A. Rauma, R. Torronen, N. de Vogel, G. Bruijntjes-Rozier, M. Dreve, J. Bogaards, and H. Mykkanen Effect of a vegan diet on biomarkers of chemoprevention in females Human and Experimental Toxicology, October 1, 1996; 15(10): 821 - 825. [PDF]