drmichaelroth@juno.com
214-707-3878
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Hi everyone,
This month's topic on Vitamin B12 and Fructose was motivated by another health newsletter that I recently received.
Before we begin, I'd just like to mention that there is no perfection this side of heaven and that includes the health care industry. No one is infallible, especially me! However, I've been biting my lip and resisting the urge to comment on a particular, very popular doctor who we'll call him Dr. X (not his real name), whom many of you are no doubt familiar with.
While some of his information is helpful and valid, I'm unfortunately seeing an increasing amount of repetition, contradiction, and incorrect/outdated data in his newsletters and I couldn't help but comment.
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In addition to Dr. X's consistent warnings about Fructose, which I will dispel shortly, an incorrect statement about Vitamin B12 was made in his article entitled: "4 Diet Mistakes That Age You."
The error he makes is in suggesting that: "Vitamin B12, which is essential for energy, is found only in foods that are derived from animals."
This is a popular belief that needs to be dismissed since it is simply untrue. However, before addressing this inaccuracy, I'd like to first mention that I'm concerned about the "over-prescribing" of individual vitamins. I've written about this before stating that I believe too many health care providers are recommending unhealthy mega-doses of vitamins such as vitamins D and E.
I also think this applies to vitamin B12. The body's needs have been over-estimated in the past and the Department of Health confirms that some people have lower than average B12 requirements.
In fact, the commercial "push" to sell numerous vitamin supplements has seriously exaggerated the necessary amounts of many nutrients. It is actually very difficult to determine exact individual needs of any vitamin or nutrient and an overload can create an unnecessary burden on our body systems.
For Vitamin B12, a report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 1998 stated that only 1 microgram of vitamin B12 per day may be needed. The reason so little is required is that for the most part, vitamin B12 is excreted in the bile and then recycled and reabsorbed. Which means this internal mechanism could meet our B12 requirements without any being provided in the diet! Even vegetarians may be obtaining more B12 from resorption than from dietary sources.
Other considerations must be looked at such as sufficient cobalt, calcium and protein in the diet in addition to the condition of the gut for the production and absorption of B12. But this fact only partially dispels Dr. X's statement that B12 can only be derived from animal sources.
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If we get really technical, we could argue that no foods naturally contain vitamin B12 since it is a bacteria and is produced by microorganisms. Vitamin B12 actually contains the trace mineral cobalt from which vitamin B12 gets its chemical name, cobalamin. Humans and all vertebrates require cobalt to function.
As long as gut bacteria have cobalt and certain other nutrients, they produce vitamin B12! In order to be properly used by the body, external B12 must be combined with a mucoprotein enzyme called the Intrinsic Factor, normally present in the gastric juices. If the Intrinsic Factor is not working properly or is absent, B12 synthesis will not take place, no matter how much is present in the diet.
But the main argument that fruits and vegetables do not contain vitamin B12 has been proven to be untrue. Much of the food analysis claiming this was done decades ago. Modern technology has proven that B12 exists in any foods that contain quantities of B vitamin complexes. In fact, B12 coenzymes are found in nuts and seeds as well as in many common greens, fruits, and many vegetables.
Additionally, there is no evidence that a vitamin B12 deficiency is greater in vegetarians. In fact, those who eat a lot of meat may actually be more deficient due to the amounts of antibiotics found in industrialized meats, and the higher acidic environment in the stomach, both of which kill the bacteria that produces B12. And, since most animal and dairy products are cooked, any vitamins existing prior to being exposed to high heat will inevitably be destroyed! The real problem in B12 deficiency is more a failure of digestion and food absorption than too little of the vitamin.
Serum Vitamin Levels
Something that I've been explaining to a lot of customers for years concerns vitamin serum levels. I've spoken with many folks whose blood tests show low levels of particular vitamins. I must emphasize again that low vitamin serum levels do not necessarily equate to vitamin deficiency in the body as a whole. It may be that blood levels are low because the vitamins are actually being utilized by the body cells as they should be. High serum levels on the other hand, may actually constitute an overabundance or an under-utilization by the cells. More reliable tests may be that of homocysteine levels and Methyl Malonic Acid tests.
If a person is healthy and on a healthy primarily vegetarian, raw food diet, does not over-eat, keeps their intestinal flora balanced, combines foods properly, stays away from unhealthy habits, and supplements properly, it's unlikely they will develop a B12 deficiency.
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Fructose
For a long time now, Dr. X has been writing about and condemning fructose - which in reality is a healthy and beneficial sugar (in the right form). I will say that lately he has changed his tune a little from strict avoidance to staying within a certain allowance. However, in one of his most recent newsletters, another contradiction arises when he writes that [two] of the "cornerstones of the fountain of youth" are:
1. Avoiding sugar/fructose
2. Avoiding grains
I disagree on both counts. After all, doesn't God command Ezekiel to use "wheat and barley, and beans and lentils, and millet and spelt" to make a bread for the people to eat? (Ezk. 4:9) Granted, many grains prepared today are very different and have been genetically modified from those of Biblical times. That's why if one does eat grains it's important to find whole, organic, unmodified types.
Of course it is also true that too much of anything can be bad, including fructose. Therefore it's important to distinguish good from bad, too much from just enough. A blanket statement that fructose is bad for you simply is inaccurate and I believe irresponsible.
When fructose is inside fruit, it is recommended and perfectly healthy to consume in reasonable amounts. It is when fructose is extracted, altered, or chemically enhanced as in high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), that it becomes more likely to contribute to weight gain and health problems.
Current guidelines recommend 5 pieces of fruit and vegetables a day, at least two of which should be fruit. In other countries, even higher amounts are recommended.
Some fruits are higher in sugar than others and the more ripe it is, generally, the higher the sugar content. Fruits like berries are much lower in sugar than more tropical fruits - variety is the key.
Dr. X recommends never eating more than 15 grams of fructose per day. That means that if you have a couple of apples and bananas, you've exceeded his idea of a "safe" fructose limit! Again, I disagree. If it's organic and comes from a tree or the ground, it's fairly safe to eat in moderation. I personally have a fruit smoothie every morning (sometimes 2) consisting of 6 different fruits. Total fructose for the day? Probably around 30-50 grams. According to Dr. X, I should be overweight! (I'm not). I should have diabetes! (I don't). My blood pressure should be high (It isn't). But, I'm also primarily vegetarian (recently), rarely eat anything processed and don't stuff myself.
Two reasons I bring all this up are #1) we shouldn't take any one person's views or opinions as fact (including mine). If unsure, do some research and get different views from experienced, knowledgeable doctors or experts in the field, not just those who are pushing piles of supplements at you. #2) The nutrients in intraMAX, intraKID and intraMIN are in very specific, precise amounts and absorption rates for a reason - to more than fulfill the daily requirements of essential nutrients without the danger of mega- or overdosing. It's simply smart and healthy!
Hopefully this will help lay to rest any confusion or concerns about B12 and fructose.
I thank you once again for your time, for your friendship and for your devotion to good health! May God protect and keep you!
Yours in good health,
Dr. Mike
drmichaelroth@juno.com
214-707-3878
www.SomaHealth.Net
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