Vitamin B-12 Deficiency

The internet is like a buffet. We pick what we like and leave the asparagus and olives. It is very hypnotic. That is why we continue to make health, relationships, financial, religious and other choices, based on the internet buffet.

I only eat chicken and fish.

This is a line from a movie about a freshly divorced man, who was rushed to hospital from a tennis game. He fell for the doctor. She asked him about his diet. He gave her that line, which was a lie.

The ‘I don’t eat red meat’ line is a good example of picking up something from the internet and running with it, without checking what is under the skin. The fact that we peel potatoes doesn’t mean that we cannot cook them with the skin. You can order a baked potato when you eat out and also boil potatoes or pumpkin with the skin on.

I first heard about Vitamin B-12 a few years back, when a friend’s doctor started giving her B-12 shots. Deficiency can lead to fatigue, memory loss or depression, to name but a few. Apparently Vitamin B-12 is found in food like salmon, nuts, clams, animal liver and beef. I’ve lost count of people who proudly say they don’t eat red meat because they are watching the weight.

Lack of Vitamin B-12 is the result of completely eliminating beef from the diet. It is a good source of this vitamin. This is seldom explained because of the internet buffet. Going vegan is a personal choice, so is not eating beef, but audiences should be given the whole story. Vitamin B-12 deficiency is part of the story.

By: Nonqaba waka Msimang.