Tamukha,

I read that b12 was secreted in the bile from that Gabriel Cousins link provided in Sundancer's post above.

david

Wow, this sure is getting complicated.
I just bought some B12 supplement, I was considering spirulina, but I'm not totally sure if it really does contain B12, it did not say that on the package. D vitamin pills I eat little now and during winter time.

Is there really not any D3 out there that isn't animal based by the way?

Err. never mind.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/17/2010 09:03PM by veghunter.

Gabriel Cousens in his book "Conscious Eating" claims he has been tested for b12, and that it was actually HIGHER as raw vegan than what is average for an omnivore. He credits that to a number of factors. B12 is destroyed by heat, so a raw vegan would preserve more with no cooking. He regularly consumes klamath lake algae which is supposed to have very high amounts of b12. I returned the book but there was also something different about how vegans absorb b12 much more efficiently.

Here is a link to his book, but pretty much all you can view is the cover, index, and a few pages of one chapter.
[www.amazon.com]

Someone had suggested at one time that vitamin D was found in Alfalfa. Doing a search, I found that it does. This article examines vitamin D in feed for dairy cattle. 1.10 International units/gram. Although other sources say those are precursors to vitamin d. The US government recommends 200 iu per day. Although a lot of people say that the number should be higher.
[jds.fass.org]

This webpage states "Herbs that contain vitamin D include alfalfa, horsetail, nettle and parsley." "Vitamin D is found in several foods, including...dandelion greens, sweet potatoes and .... "
[www.ehow.com]
Its news to me that those herbs contained vitamin D!
I'm wondering if they are confusing vitamin A with vitamin D.

"Total-body sun exposure easily provides the equivalent of 250 µg (10000 IU) vitamin D/d, suggesting that this is a physiologic limit."
[www.ajcn.org]
I imagine that is under the best conditions, skin tone makes a difference also.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/18/2010 01:55AM by Mislu.

I just read in Vegetarian Times that mushrooms are one of the only plant sources of Vitamin D; I have read some research elsewhere that says they are quite high in B12, btw. However, I have also heard that large amounts of raw mushrooms can be toxic. So take that as you wish.

Quote

Lara_Hastings Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> Is there really not any D3 out there that isn't
> animal based by the way?

Alive Raw and Upayanaturals sell D3 that is supposedly made from Shitake mushrooms. It's a very low dose though and I don't know anything about the companies or the product.

I have posted before that in German raw food forums many say that most people living north of Rome have vitamin D deficieny, but people wrote against it.

So I think in winter, when only the face is directly exposed to sun light (if there is sun at all!), vitamin D supplement is a good thing. I do not take supplements in winter, I find this not natural, so I eat things that contain vitamin D, but they are not vegan.

> I have posted before that in German raw food
> forums many say that most people living north of
> Rome have vitamin D deficieny, but people wrote
> against it.


Helen,
I've been looking at the Giessen raw food study and noticed they were low in B12. The Reference Daily Intake is 2 to 3 micrograms and they were averaging 0.2 to 0.4 micrograms per day, even with those who eat a mixed diet, the average consumption of eggs, dairy or meat seeming very little. [jn.nutrition.org]

Is it the same with Germans regarding vitamin D? Does it seem like the majority avoid vitamin D supplements?

Loewe,

I do not know if I understand your question correctly.

What I would think about Germans and vitamin D is that the "normal" German does not really care about vitamins and therefore does not know whether they could have a deficiency and therefore do not take supplements.

Raw foodist, or people that care about there vitamin intake: Some insist that they get enough of all nutrients with their diet, others think not and they take supplements.

So I think Germans are no different than Americans, some care, some dont care, some take supplements, some do not ...

Helen,
I was just hoping to understand the Giessen Germany Raw Food study a little better, and the prevailing German raw foodist view on supplements. You answered all my questions. Thanks