By Jack Norris, Registered Dietitian, Executive Director

I’m pictured above in the B12 jersey that VO’s Director of Outreach, Vic Sjodin, recently bestowed upon me.

If you’re new to veganism, or VO’s work, you may not know the history of vitamin B12 and its importance for vegans. This article will bring you up to speed!

Vitamin B12 is the one nutrient that can’t be supplied by plant foods. That’s an inconvenient fact, but the good news is that vegans can easily get enough vitamin B12 from fortified foods or supplements—and if you follow the recommendations (below) you can have even better vitamin B12 status than meat-eaters.

Like many nutrient deficiencies, B12 doesn’t present itself suddenly—in fact, people who’ve eaten animal products their entire lives typically have a store of vitamin B12 that will last them for a significant amount of time. It can be years before a vegan shows signs of deficiency. Due to this slow progression, a controversy has always surrounded whether vegans actually need a dietary source of vitamin B12.

All vitamin B12 is produced by some specific strains of bacteria and the vitamin B12 found in supplements is made from bacteria cultures—it’s not obtained from animals. But animals collect it in their tissues while plants don’t. And before vitamin B12 was discovered in the late 1940s, people’s attempts to be vegan often ended in a state of fatigue or neurological damage. Once discovered, vitamin B12 quickly became available in supplement form and the final piece of the nutrition puzzle was in place for a vegan lifestyle to spread.

The term “vegan” was coined by Donald Watson, one of the founders of the U.K. Vegan Society. The Vegan Society formed in 1944, but it’s not clear to me when they started pushing B12. One of the earliest studies on U.K. vegans from 1955 (1), described significant B12 deficiency with some vegans suffering from nerve damage and dementia.

In 1976, the BBC television show, Open Door, ran an episode on the Vegan Society and interviewed Dr. Tom Sanders who said a vegan diet should be supplemented with vitamin B12.

I became involved in animal rights advocacy and veganism in the late 1980s. Although the American Dietetic Association’s position was that a vegan diet could be healthy if supplemented with vitamin B12, that news didn’t seem to be reaching most of the U.S. animal rights movement. To the extent that movement leaders realized the need for vitamin B12, it was played down so as not to make the vegan diet appear unnatural.

My activism was focused almost solely on spreading veganism, and I started to come across ex-vegans who had failed to thrive on a vegan diet. In my attempt to understand this problem, I started reading the scientific literature and writings by vegan dietitians like Ginny Messina. These writings stated that vegans should supplement with vitamin B12. At the same time, I was alarmed by the case reports of vitamin B12 deficiency in vegan infants, children, and adults—some of which led to permanent damage and death.

I went back to school and became a registered dietitian in 2001. Vegans with health issues started turning to me for help, and I saw a slow trickle of vegan activists with B12 deficiency symptoms—typically tingling in the fingers and toes.

A few others and I made it our mission to inform the animal advocacy movement of the need for vegans to take vitamin B12. In 2003, a group of vegan health professionals and organizations signed an open letter to the vegan community, What Every Vegan Should Know about Vitamin B12, urging vegans to get a reliable source of B12.

Our efforts were largely successful—there are almost no mainstream animal advocacy or vegan organizations that do not acknowledge that vegans need B12. Today, I encounter much fewer cases of vitamin B12 deficiency, but there are still many vegans who haven’t received the news or neglect it.

B12 presents two problems for animal advocacy.

The first problem is that requiring supplementation implies a vegan diet is unnatural. In my mind, this is easily solved—humans didn’t evolve as vegans. In my view, the vegan movement isn’t an attempt to bring humans back to their prehistoric ways of being, but rather to move humans forward in evolution to a more humane diet. We’re lucky to live in a world that makes it possible for us to live without killing animals for food—societies before us have not been so lucky.

See Can a Natural Diet Require Supplements? for more thoughts on this.

The second, more practical problem, is that before we do vegan advocacy in a new region, we need to make sure that vitamin B12 fortified foods or supplements are available. For example, a recent study from Pakistan found that Hindu vegetarians who were eating small amounts of dairy had a high rate of vitamin B12 deficiency with some suffering neurological impairment (2).

Vegan adults can get enough vitamin B12 by following one of these options:

Please see the Daily Recommendations for other age groups.

There are a variety of other options and amounts of vitamin B12 that will work. The amounts I recommend are formulated to have a safety factor for people who might not efficiently absorb B12 or might forget to take it now and then.

Vitamin B12 supplements come in a variety of forms and these recommendations are meant for the most common and most tested form, cyanocobalamin. For information on other forms, see Methylcobalamin & Adenosylcobalamin.

A common reaction to learning about the need for vegans to take vitamin B12 is to wonder if you should go get your B12 levels tested. If you’re apparently healthy, then this isn’t necessary—just make sure you follow the recommendations.

May you live a long and healthy vegan life—be well and B12!

Reference

1. Wokes F, Badenoch J, Sinclair HM. Human dietary deficiency of vitamin B12. Am J Clin Nutr. 1955 Sep-Oct;3(5):375-82. • Link

2. Kapoor A, Baig M, Tunio SA, Memon AS, Karmani H. Neuropsychiatric and neurological problems among Vitamin B12 deficient young vegetarians. Neurosciences (Riyadh). 2017 Jul;22(3):228-232. • Link

By John Deetjen, Outreach Coordinator

I’ve really been getting to know Ontario’s amazing vegan restaurant scene this year. From London to Toronto to St. Catherines, there are countless unique vegan eateries all over the province. In fact, London just opened its first 24-hour vegan drive thru!

I’d read earlier in the year that Montreal—in the neighboring province of Quebec—is ranked one of the top international destinations for vegans. The article touted various vegan restaurants in the city, including an all vegan sushi establishment, called Sushi Momo.

Since Montreal is only a seven-hour drive away from London, which is where my girlfriend, Sam, lives, we decided to take a road trip to get a taste of the city for ourselves!

The first restaurant we went to was an Italian café called Café Dei Campi, located just north of downtown Montreal. This café was not all vegan, but it had an extensive list of vegan options. I’d never been to a traditional Italian café before, so this was a great and delicious first-time experience! It had a warm, relaxed atmosphere—perfect for enjoying our pizza and cannolis.

The next restaurant we went to, La Panthére Verte, we just happened to stumble upon while walking to our Airbnb. We decided to stop after we’d read a sign out front that advertised the establishment as an all vegan restaurant. I ordered fried tofu and a tempeh dish, and Sam ordered a falafel pita. The tofu and tempeh were seasoned perfectly, and Sam reported, “the falafel was the best!”

Next was the sushi restaurant I mentioned already, Sushi Momo. This restaurant was more formal than the others we’d tried, and were told it’d be best to make a reservation.

My expectations were met—I can’t recommend this place enough! Everything we ordered was delicious and bursting with flavor. The menu item Sam and I agreed was best was the jackfruit, avocado, and wasabi roll.

The final restaurant we stopped at on our food tour was a vegan chain called Copper Branch. It currently operates ten different restaurants in Quebec and Ontario, with three more slated to open their doors this summer and early fall. It was early, so I got the southwest tofu scramble and Sam ordered granola. We also ordered their “Einstein Smoothie,” which was a sweet and tasty combination of raspberries, maple syrup, and vanilla soymilk. It was the perfect vegan breakfast.

As you can probably tell by now, Montreal is a haven of amazing vegan options, and the restaurants Sam and I tried were just the tip of the iceberg!

For anyone who lives near or may be traveling to Montreal in the future, check out the vegan restaurant scene! Your taste buds won’t be disappointed.

By Nzinga Young, Greater NYC Community Engagement and Events Coordinator

Last month, Vegan Outreach held its first East Coast grocery store tour at Whole Foods Market in Clark, NJ. The event showed aspiring vegans how to grocery shop for a plant-based lifestyle. Veg-curious NJ residents snaked up and down the aisles as I walked them through the basics of vegan groceries.

Some tour participants were former vegans looking to get back in the game. Others were vegetarians looking to take their diet to the next level. Moms brought their sons, women brought their sisters, and nurses brought their notebooks to learn how to prepare plant-based meals.

I showed them the epicenter for affordable vegan protein—the bulk section. Participants were introduced to delicious vegan meats and popular frozen food brands that make vegan versions of their favorite ice cream flavors. We talked about the vegan staples every pantry needs, specialty items you can do without, and just how easy it is to prepare filling, flavorful meals without animal products.

Participants left the tour with coupons and samples from Field Roast, Dr. Praeger’s, Sweet Earth Natural Foods, Upton’s Naturals, Hodo Soy, Hilary’s, Tofurky, Justin’s, Amazing Grass, and Dr. Bronner’s.

More importantly, they left feeling more prepared to adopt a vegan lifestyle. I want to give a huge shout out to the brands who donated samples and coupons, and a big thank you to the NJ folks who enthusiastically participated! It was a great way to spend a Saturday!

By Katia Rodríguez, Mexico Campaigns and Spanish Media Coordinator

I recently traveled from Mexico to Los Angeles, CA to give an informational presentation at All Saints Episcopal Church in the Highland Park neighborhood. The event was part of VO’s Community Engagement Initiative (CEI) and was organized by Roxanne Hill, VO’s Events and CEI Manager.

The community at All Saints has a large Latino population, so I was invited to give a talk in Spanish about the benefits of adopting a plant-based diet. There were about 20 people in attendance, and I discussed the benefits a plant-based diet can have for people’s health, the environment, and the animals that are raised and killed for food.

As people started showing up we discovered that some of the attendees weren’t native Spanish speakers. I ended up giving the presentation in both English and Spanish—we didn’t want anyone to feel left out!

The group was very interested in what I had to say! Many of the attendees interrupted me several times—agreeing with what I was saying and sharing personal experiences.

One woman told the group that when she was younger she lived with multiple pigs and there was one pig in particular that she cared deeply for. She described how after that special pig was killed they cut her open and she still had babies inside. She cried a lot and gave up eating pigs at a really young age.

Other people in the audience shared that they have high blood pressure and cholesterol and are interested in making dietary changes for their health.

At first, it seemed like the audience’s main motivation for taking interest in the topic was for health reasons, but they were also quite shocked when I explained what happens to animals in factory farms. They were also concerned about the environmental problems caused by animal agriculture, especially water issues in this drought-ridden state. I was very moved by how grateful this community was for my presentation.

And after the presentation and thoughtful discussions, it was time to eat!

Derek Rogers, The Nomad Vegan, cooked us a delicious vegan dinner! The menu consisted of—

• Tofurky Chorizo and Chick’n tacos
• Melissa’s Red Kidney Beans
• Follow Your Heart Sour Cream
• Rice
• Ripe avocado slices
• Watermelon and jicama salad
• Trader Joe’s Soft-Baked Snickerdoodles

It was really fun to see people try these products for the first time and love them! They even insisted Chef Derek come out of the kitchen so they could thank him for the delicious meal!

Everyone was happy to know they weren’t contributing to what’s happening to animals on factory farms. In fact, they repeatedly asked when we’d come back to their community—I truly believe these individuals will make changes to their eating habits!

I’d like to give a big shout out to Follow Your Heart, Melissa’s, and Tofurky for supporting us at this event.

I’d also like to give a special thank you to David Hertel, who helped set up tables and chairs, assisted with technical issues, and also helped with the cooking and cleaning!

By Roxanne Hill, VO Events and Community Engagement Initiative Manager

On Sunday, November 27, Vegan Outreach’s Community Engagement Initiative hosted its final event of 2016. The presentation and lunch were for the congregation of Holy Faith Episcopal Church in Inglewood, CA, and it turned out to be a most delightful event.

The first part of our program took place during the bilingual church service. The Reverend Francisco J. Garcia, Jr., rector at Holy Faith, preceded our presentation with an eloquently delivered sermon that framed our vegan message within a theological context. He explained to his parishioners—our audience—the significance of caring for God’s creation, specifically animals and our earth, as a way of living one’s faith. He shared that his decision to become vegetarian more than a decade ago was an important part of his own faith journey.

The first presentation of the day followed the Rev’d. Garcia’s sermon. Victor Flores gave the presentation, with Karla Reyes, his wife, translating. The Flores family, including their four children, had driven all the way from their home in Cloudcroft, NM to Los Angeles, CA to participate in the event.

Victor shared his story and his family’s journey to veganism, including his and his wife’s significant weight loss and the positive impact that their vegan lifestyle has had on the health of both of their own parents.

The second part of the program continued in the parish hall with a mouthwatering holiday meal prepared by the illustrious Alex Bury, VO’s Organizational Development Consultant and chef extraordinaire! Liz Ross, founder of Coalition of Vegan Activists of Color—COVAC—jumped right in as Alex’s sous chef!

Alex wowed our guests with her specially prepared Tofurky roast garnished with slices of Tofurky Italian sausage, fresh sage and rosemary, and roasted vegetables donated by Melissa’s Produce. The buffet was also loaded with mashed potatoes, gravy, butternut squash, dinner rolls, and a delicious salad drizzled with Follow Your Heart dressing.

People kept popping into the kitchen to see who this chef was and to ask questions about the deliciousness they couldn’t get enough of!

To crown it all, there were pumpkin cheesecake and pumpkin tofu pies made by VO volunteer, baker and pastry chef, Desiree Stapley. The pie recipes were Alex’s very own—no surprise! As if the pies weren’t enough to tantalize the taste buds, we also had the most delicious brownies from Charlie Fyffe’s vegan company, Charlie’s Brownies—who you’ll meet next week in the VO blog!

While everyone was enjoying this most scrumptious meal, vegan registered dietician Matt Ruscigno gave a very informative presentation, which focused on the nutritional and practical aspects of a vegan diet. The audience was completely engaged and the questions were non-stop!

As the event came to an end, each guest was given a goodie bag filled with items that were generously donated from Amazing Grass, Dr. Bronner’s, Follow Your Heart, Sjaak’s Organic Chocolates, and Tofurky! We are very grateful to all of these companies for their support.

We would also like to thank our volunteers and vegan activists who all contributed to the success of the event—the Flores Family, Liz Ross, Desiree Stapley, Anasylvia Torres, and Joyce Wong.

Finally, we’d like to extend our gratitude to the Reverend Francisco J. Garcia, Jr. for his support in allowing VO to bring our message to his congregation—and a special thank you to the church sexton and his wife, Gumer and Rosa Rangel, who were a tremendous help in setting up and breaking down the room after our event.

By Victor Flores and Karla Reyes, VO Volunteers

Towards the end of November, my family and I had the pleasure of speaking to a group of veg-curious folks at a church in Inglewood, CA—the experience was amazing!

In the works was a similar gathering, near our home, in the rural town of Alamogordo, NM. Within a few short weeks, my family and I—with the help of  Vegan Outreach and members of Otero Veg, our hometown Vegetarian/Vegan Meetup group—planned a holiday gathering to inform community members about the joy of living a compassionate lifestyle.

We offered a great holiday meal, personal testimonials, and we showed an informative video by Dr. Michael Greger, vegan physician and author of How Not to Die. We discussed the cruelty inherent in animal agriculture and the impact of animal product consumption on our health and on the environment.

We also had the iAnimal Virtual Reality headsets available for people to view, which gave viewers the opportunity to experience what happens inside of a pig slaughterhouse.

Our expectations for a positive response went far beyond what we ever could’ve expected! We had to keep restocking the information table we’d piled high with Vegan Outreach literature. Everyone was receptive and engaged—you could feel the positive vibe in the room!

Oh, and the tasty desserts didn’t hurt—vegan cupcakes, cinnamon rolls, and Mexican sweet bread. The vegan nog and coffee with almond milk creamer was also a huge hit. We even had chocolate soy milk for the kids!

Everyone enjoyed the holiday roasts, which we ended up having to drive over 6 hours to pick up the day before the event. We also had mashed potatoes with gravy, cornbread stuffing, corn, green chili mac and cheese, and an excellent green bean casserole.

By the end of the night, attendees were asking where they could buy vegan food products, how to best prepare them, and how to maintain a vegan lifestyle. We gave away goodie bags packed with vegan treats and coupons for different types of vegan foods. Many attendees requested to stay in touch so they could ask questions and get support if needed. And we heard many people say they’re excited about future events because they want to bring their friends and family members.

Reflecting back, it was such a powerful event! There’s no doubt in our mind that this is an effective way of doing outreach for our communities. We’ve even heard from people who live in larger, nearby cities, like El Paso, TX and Las Cruces, NM, who want us to do events like this in their areas!

Thank you to Kristina Marzano, Kathrin Schoos, and Amy Dame for volunteering to share their personal vegan stories. Such a big inspiration! And thank you to Vivian Nevarez and Jesus Loya for making the delicious vegan treats!

A big shout out to Janina Rojas, Silva, Kathrin Schoos, and Leanne Smith for helping serve the delicious meal. Thanks again to Vegan Outreach, Otero Veg, Flowers for Animals, and everyone else that made this event a success!

2017 better be ready because we are coming in strong……Vegan Strong!

By Nzinga Young, Greater NYC Community Engagement and Events Coordinator

For the past four weeks, Gwenna Hunter—the Greater Los Angeles Community Engagement and Events Coordinator—and I traveled throughout the Southeast for Vegan Outreach, leafleting historically black colleges and universities. Each day was a new campus and a new opportunity to expose hundreds of young people to the truth behind the food they eat.

We learned a lot! Here are a few major takeaways from our month on the road.

Vegans Are Everywhere

Despite the strong Southern culture of eating a lot of animal products, it was rare that we went on a campus without meeting a vegetarian or vegan. The vegetarians were the most interested in adopting a vegan lifestyle. Many people told us that they’d considered it—they just didn’t know where to start. Gwenna and I had great conversations between leafleting and we hope the vegetarians are able to cut out eggs and dairy very soon.

Southern Black Students Are Open to Change

Animal products are staples in Southern black cuisine, so we had no idea how we’d be received. Not only were students gracious and polite, but many were interested in making a change. The limited cafeteria food and summers with meat-loving parents were the biggest barriers students’ mentioned, but Gwenna and I gave great tips on getting over those obstacles. We loved connecting students with VO’s Vegan Mentor Program—it felt great knowing that our presence on campus was exactly what some students were looking for.

There’s Power to Leaflets

We had so many leaflets circulating through campus that people were seeking us out to get one. Even if we didn’t personally hand one to a student, they would see it on their roommate’s desk or in a classmate’s hand and come talk to us about it. Watching students flip through the booklets as they walked away was amazing. We certainly don’t expect everyone to go vegan overnight, but we knew each booklet planted a very important seed.

We also met students who got a booklet last year and went vegan as a result! We hope our leaflets have the same impact for other students.

You Can Find Vegan Food Anywhere

We had to get creative, but we were able to eat vegan and well no matter where we were. Major cities like New Orleans and Atlanta were one of the few places with completely vegan restaurants, but even the small towns had a Japanese restaurant with avocado sushi rolls. I’m going to need a break from eating cheeseless pizza and potato burritos, but am grateful we could easily find animal-free alternatives in the Deep South.

Our first tour was a great experience! We’ll miss life on the road, but it’s also nice being back in our respective homes. Gwenna has great ideas for outreach in Los Angeles and I’m excited about the partnerships I’m developing in New York City. We’ll focus on local event planning until our next tour this fall.