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How can vegans address B12 deficiencies?

Vitamin B12, known as cobalamin in the science world, is one of the most important nutrients for the human neurological system, DNA synthesis, and red blood cell formation. B12 is quite abundant in meat products like chicken and beef, but since vegan people don't eat any meat-containing or even dairy-containing products, they are much more prone to a deficiency in cobalamin. This leads to issues like neurological problems, anemia, overall tiredness, and even cognitive impairment. 

The biggest problem of being a vegan, is that B12 isn't naturally present in plant-based foods; so it's really likely for them to be deficient of it, since they consume no source thereof. This is why most vegans employ two methods to meet their daily vitamin B12 requirements. 

Method 1: Supplementation.

The straightforward, and honestly simper way for people to address their B12 needs, is to just take supplements for it. There are tablets, sublingual drops, and sprays which all contain between 250-500 mcg of cobalamin as per the consumers' needs. Along with that, there are versions of naturally extracted B12, like methylcobalamin, or synthetic versions like cynacobalamin. Most people who take supplements are inclined towards methylcobalamin, since it is much more bioavailable (provides a high amount of B12 to the body without a very high dosage) and has been processed much lesser. 

Method 2: Dietary fortification.

This method, is definitely much more difficult to maintain as compared to just popping pills, but often has a lot of positive effects apart from just addressing the B12 deficiency, as it encourages healthier eating habits. Since B12 isn't naturally found in plants, there are fortified foods (wherein B12 is added into the foods before being sold) like most plant-based milks (soy milk, oat milk, almond milk, etc.) and breakfast cereals, which almost always have been fortified. 

How do you check if your B12 levels are improving:

People who are trying to fix their B12 deficiency should ideally test their blood quite often to ensure that their cobalamin levels are within the optimum range, especially if they are vegans who don't have access to naturally occurring B12. They are also strongly encouraged to keep checking out for symptoms of low B12, with specially cognizance for fatigue, weakness, and cognitive changes; this helps prevent further health deterioriation and lets people enjoy a healthy, fulfilling life. 

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