We often hear people complain about the lack of vitamin B12 in vegetarian diets and this becomes the single most important factor, for people not switching to vegetarianism, though it may be the best option for health reasons. Though there is a lot of controversy and debate surrounding this topic, you could be wondering what this vitamin B12 is, and what would happen if there were lack of it. First of all, what is vitamin B12 and what is its source? In very simple terms, vitamin B12 is a type of nutrient found in a large variety of animal and some plant sources.

This nutrient is also produced in large quantities in the colon of people who have healthy intestines. Since this vitamin is difficult to be absorbed, which again can be due to various factors, and also because most people are not equipped with a healthy digestive system, doctors usually advise supplements of vitamin B12 for vegetarians. Interestingly, vitamin B12 can be stored in the liver for up to 6 years and any deficiency is not apparent for several years. Signs and symptoms of its deficiency appear earlier with people who have dysfunctional liver or have problems with B12 integration.

Your question could still remain regarding its importance and function in the body. Perhaps the biggest and most important role played by vitamin B12 is the formation of red blood cells, which forms part of the basic functioning of the body. it is also responsible for normal cell growth, for fertility reasons, for proper functioning of immune systems and also required for the treatment of several fatal diseases like cancer, AIDS, etc. The deficiency state of vitamin B12 could result in anemia, tiredness, diarrhea or indigestion, mental depression, and severe deficiency could even cause brain damage. One of the easiest and earliest symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency is that the individual would have a reddish, shiny and smooth tongue. Since folic acid and vitamin B12 are very similar to each other in terms of their function, sometimes vitamin B12 deficiency is cleverly masked and it is difficult to diagnose the deficient state. Interestingly, folic acid is present in plenty in green leafy vegetables, legumes and sprouts, which form major part of a vegetarians’ diet. So the vitamin B12 deficiency, if any, is diagnosed only years later.

There are some other factors, which could also contribute to vitamin B12 deficiency, like oral

The simplest solution to vitamin B12 deficiency is perhaps to take supplements. According to health experts including a top quality pro-biotic supplement could also provide the right solution. A great plant source for this vitamin is the miso, where the light colored miso is lower in salt content too.