B12 and brain power

Dear Editor Going vegetarian may shrink your brain…. this sensationalist headline that appeared in some of the national papers is typical of how serious research, that could help people, is deliberately misinterpreted for the sake of selling papers. The research from Oxford University found that low vitamin B12 levels are associated with brain atrophy in the elderly. They did not say going veggie would cause brain shrinkage. Vitamin B12 deficiency occurs frequently in the elderly, in meat-eaters and veggies alike. In fact, it affects 40 per cent of older people in the UK. B12 deficiency from diet accounts for just five per cent of cases. B12 from fortified foods is better absorbed than B12 from meat, poultry and fish. So vegetarians and vegans, who are used to including B12-fortified cereal, soya milk, margarine etc in the diet actually have an advantage as they age. In the US, the National Academy of Sciences recommends that all adults over 50 get most of their B12 from vitamin supplements or fortified foods because of the high incidence of impaired absorption of B12 from animal foods in this age group. So going veggie may actually reduce the chances of your brain shrinking.

Find out more about Vitamin B12

About the author
Dr. Justine Butler
Justine joined Viva! in 2005 after graduating from Bristol University with a PhD in molecular biology. After working as a campaigner, then researcher and writer, she is now Viva!’s head of research and her work focuses on animals, the environment and health. Justine’s scientific training helps her research and write both in-depth scientific reports, such as White Lies and the Meat Report, as well as easy-to-read factsheets and myth-busting articles for consumer magazines and updates on the latest research. Justine also recently wrote the Vegan for the Planet guide for Viva!’s Vegan Now campaign.

View author page | View staff profile