Since its appearance, the vegetarian movement has gained millions of adepts in America, each year more and more people enter this lifestyle or even choose to be vegan (when they even avoid animal-derived food). Although there are many benefits in following a diet of this type, there are also some health consequences, especially the appearance of vitamin B12 deficiency problems.

A vitamin deficiency takes place because by following this diet we are restricting the main sources of B12: meat, shellfish meat, fish and dairy products. Vegetables simply don’t bring us the necessary amounts of B12 our body needs to keep functioning optimally; it is scarcely found in vegetables and easily found in animal food.

Our bodies have B12 supplies that last a couple of years, you may think everything is fine right now, but as time passes, the initial symptoms and signs of a B12 deficiency will become evident, and if not treated, they can get pretty serious. Among these symptoms we have weakness, mind and body fatigue, confusion, anemia sins, trouble breathing correctly, soreness in the mouth and throat among other symptoms. The intensity of the symptoms will vary according to the severity of the deficiency.

In order to avoid these types of problems, vegans and vegetarians must take the necessary steps for prevention. The best thing they can do is integrate fortified cereals into the everyday diet. These cereals have been provided with the necessary vitamins for our body’s health, including B12 of course. As you can see, there is no need to change your lifestyle if you are currently following a vegan or vegetarian regime.

Treatment must be directed by a doctor after following a blood test to determine current vitamin B12 levels to discard any other condition with similar symptoms, as they are not exclusive to a deficiency.