Re: Vitamin B12 and my preference not to take supplements
Yeah, that's generally what I agree with. As far as vitamin B12 is concerned, well I bookmarked this page a long time ago, it has a list of all deficiency symptoms. If I look up B12 it lists them, however note that these symptoms may be due to other deficiencies, not just B12.
| Symptom |
Deficiency (B12 in bold) |
| Dim vision (amblyopia) |
vitamins B1, B2, C, B12 (allergy testing) |
| Hemorrhaging in the back of the eye (retinitis) |
vitamin B6, zinc, bioflavonoids (also magnesium, vitamins C, B2, B12, E, pantothenate) |
| Brown discoloration around small joints |
vitamin B12 |
| Jaundice |
vitamins C, E, A, B12, B6, lecithin, magnesium, zinc (blue light therapy, treat gall bladder & liver) |
| Lemon-yellow skin |
vitamin B12 |
| Shingles |
vitamins B12, C, A, B, E, zinc, lysine, zinc oxide lotion, zapper |
| Swellings (for example, face) |
zinc, magnesium, vitamins B6, B12 |
| Burning, sore tongue |
vitamins B2, B6, B12, niacin |
| Tongue shiny, smooth, beefy; early sign: strawberry-red tip/sides |
vitamin B12, folic acid |
I don't have any of these symptoms, and I am getting reluctant to take supplements because it may interfere with the body's ability to seek out the food it needs. I don't know if you remember but Archus started a thread a while back in water fasting. It referred to a Science Channel programme called "The Human Body: Pushing the Limits", episode 4, "Brain Power". It explained how people instinctively knew what to eat when they were deficient. I quote:
"First story was about a man in a raft who got carried away in the middle of Atlantic Ocean. After one week with no food he finally caught a big fish and started eating the raw fish interior. His brain told him that the real energy for the brain at that point was not protein, but vitamins and mineral, which were only in the eyes and fins of the fish. He ate the eyes and the fins to survive, which normally one would have discarded. He survived 36 days."
You can see the video in the original thread, it's the first video. I think if I stop taking supplements maybe my body will get like that, eventually.