The adoption of a diet that excludes all meat and fish and all animal products, including milk and eggs. A vegan diet is likely to result in vitamin B12 deficiency. Supplements are essential during pregnancy.
A strict form of VEGETARIANISM. Vegans do not eat meat, dairy produce, eggs or ?sh.
This condition is particularly associated with PERNICIOUS ANAEMIA but can also be caused by a number of other things, such as alcohol, pregnancy, myxoedema (see THYROID GLAND, DISEASES OF – Hypothyroidism) and MYELOMATOSIS, and also by vitamin B12 de?ciency: this occurs sometimes in vegans (see VEGANISM) as well as in patients with CROHN’S DISEASE.... macrocytosis
A water-soluble vitamin that plays a vital role in the activities of several enzymes in the body. Vitamin B12 is important in the production of the genetic material of cells (and thus in growth and development), in the production of red blood cells in bone marrow, in the utilization of folic acid and carbohydrates in the diet, and in the functioning of the nervous system. Foods rich in vitamin B12 include liver, kidney, chicken, beef, pork, fish, eggs, and dairy products.Deficiency is almost always due to the inability of the intestine to absorb the vitamin, usually as a result of pernicious anaemia (see anaemia, megaloblastic). Less commonly, deficiency may result from gastrectomy, malabsorption, or veganism. The effects of vitamin B12 deficiency are megaloblastic anaemia, a sore mouth and tongue, and symptoms caused by damage to the spinal cord, such as numbness and tingling in the limbs. There may also be depression and memory loss. A high intake of vitamin B12 has no known harmful effects.... vitamin b12
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