By Dr. med. Ludwig Jacob
As a medical doctor, Ph.D. and specialist in vegetarian and vegan diets, (I wrote a 500-page medical book quoting over 1400 scientific studies on this), my research and personal experience with the health problems of senior devotees have shown clearly that we urgently need to improve and re-think our eating and health habits. The world-wide devotee community has already a large percentage of cardiovascular diseases and of neuro-degenerative diseases such as dementia and Parkinson with the high probability of developing an epidemic. One of the easier ways to revert these causes is to increased vitamin B12, which lacking causes high levels of homocysteine in the blood.
The lack of vitamin B12 and too high homocysteine can cause dementia, Alzheimers disease, heart disease, nerve damage, brain shrinkage, stroke, fatigue, memory loss, miscarriage, mental illness, and many more. People who already have Parkinson or dementia urgently need to supplement B12.
The insidious problem with a chronic lack of B12 is that in the early stage there are no or little symptoms and is, therefore, often not treated on time. Once it has done serious damage, it cannot be cured. Please allow me to share some important information about it with you.
How do we get vitamin B12?
Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin that your body does not produce itself, which means you must get it via your diet or supplements. Milk products contain little B12 and require a lot of B12 for their digestion. After the age of 50, dairy products no longer meet our needs for B12, and supplementation is a must. Vitamin B12 deficiency is more common in the elderly. This is because stomach acid decreases as you get older, and stomach acid is essential for your body to absorb vitamin B12.
Vitamin B12 deficiency is prevalent not only among the known risk groups of elderly persons, vegetarians, vegans, pregnant women, and patients with kidney disease or intestinal disorders.
In general, those most at risk of vitamin B12 deficiency include:
• Vegetarians and vegans
• People over 50
• People who regularly use proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) or taking metformin
• People with Crohn’s disease, colitis, celiac disease or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Women with a history of infertility or miscarriage
The NIH, the highest US health authority, recommend that EVERYBODY above 50 should supplement B12 in their diet, as the absorption from food after that age is often insufficient, since it is dependent on intrinsic factors and stomach acid concentration.
How do we test it?
It is a simple blood test. The cheapest way is to test homocysteine, as it shows a lack of active B12. Homocysteine should not be below 12 μmol/L.
If you test B12, the values that are considered normal are often already too low and you may suffer from a lack of active B12! Experts suggest a B12 level of no less than 450 pg/mL.
Oral Vitamin B12 Supplements or injections?
Many people, including the elderly, those with intestinal disorders, vegetarians and vegans, benefit greatly from Vitamin B12 supplements. There is, however, one problem with supplementation, which is the poor absorption rate of oral vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 is the largest vitamin molecule known. Because of its large size, it is not easily absorbed. Therefore, oral B12 supplements are often grossly ineffective. This is why vitamin B12 is often given via injection, especially for people with absorption issues. Sublingual (under your tongue) sprays are also effective. You need 500-1000 mcg of B12 orally if you do not absorb it well. For younger, healthy people who absorb well 5-10 mcg of vitamin B12 daily is usually sufficient.
In summary: blood tests show how well you absorb B12 and whether you need B12 orally or intramuscular (a little injection into the muscle, make sure the dose is high enough, e.g.500-1000 mcg).
What can we change to stay healthy?
As confirmed with Dr.Pradyumna at the Vedic Village Clinic, who treat many devotees with neuro-generative diseases, these diseases are connected with the high consumption of paneer and cheese. He is an expert Ayurvedic doctor and named the high dairy consumption, like paneer, as the number one cause for the high rate of neuro-generative diseases in Western devotees. It is a well-established scientific fact that all neuro-degenerative diseases start with these protein deposits in the brain.
Some B12 is found in paneer, but it contains too much methionine which causes high homocysteine. It is proven that high homocysteine increases the risk of Alzheimer 5-fold. In normal population this is often due to high meat consumption, but we can also reach this by a high cheese and milk intake, as usually found in a devotee diet.
Studies show that not only homocysteine is produced by the metabolisation of methionine, but also other methionine metabolites increase damages to the cardiovascular and nervous system.
Cheese and other dairy sources also increase homocysteine in the elderly. In addition, they are loaded with a lot of saturated fatty acids that are known to increase Alzheimer risk.
Unhealthy diet and too little sleep.
It was recently proven that protein deposits in the brain are eliminated during sleep. So a high diet of milk products and little sleep are a fatal combination – a rather typical situation for many devotees. In addition to sufficient intakes of folic acid, Vitamin B6, and mainly B12, omega-3-fatty acids like flax seed oil, freshly ground organic flax seeds, chia seeds or rape seed oil, choline or betaine are also needed. Betain is found in quinoa whilst cholin is found in soya products. It is essential to reduce and normalise the amount of milk protein, especially rich paneer and the combination of dairy and sugar in the diet. Our high consumption of cheese and sugar also add to the cancer burden with strong evidence especially in regard to prostate cancer and breast cancer.
It is not the daily small cup of milk Srila Prabhupada recommended that makes us ill – it is the daily cheese, milk, fat and sugar products that does (such as paneer, cheese srikand, burfi, fried milk sweets etc).
Rates of brain shrinkage may depend on omega-3 fatty acids and B vitamins
A new study reveals that the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA (the kind found in fatty fish like salmon) may determine whether Vitamin B treatment can slow down brain shrinkage. Higher blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids has previously been linked to larger brain volume in older adults. Researchers from University of Oxford, led by Dr. David Smith, examined data from the VITACOG trial, a 2-year randomised, placebo-controlled trial, examining the effects of Vitamin B treatment on brain shrinkage and memory loss in older adults with mild cognitive impairment. People with high levels of omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA combined above 590 μmol/L or 186 mg/l).) have up to 40% less brain shrinkage if treated with B Vitamins. But in people with low blood levels of omega-3s ((EPA and DHA combined below 390 μmol/L or 123 mg/l)), B Vitamin treatment had no effect on brain atrophy. As noted by the authors, “There was a significant interaction between B vitamin treatment and plasma combined omega-3 fatty acids (eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid) on brain atrophy rates.”
As in old age the conversion of plant omega-3 to long chain omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA (essential for brain health), you may consider taking a supplement with DHA and EPA from algae.
If homocysteine is already high, B12 alone may not suffice but needs to be combined with choline, good amounts of omega-3-fatty acids, folic acid, and Vitamin B6. For prevention B12 supplementation is usually sufficient and the lack of it is the main reason for increased homocysteine.
Vegetarians can be very healthy, if they get it right!
The Adventist vegetarians are proven in very large and excellent health studies that have run now for decades to be the healthiest and longest living people on the planet. They are a Christian faith group for whom wholesome living expresses their religious conviction that the body must be honoured as God’s temple. The Adventist’s nutritional council recommends a vegetarian diet with plenty of whole grains, vegetables, fruit, and moderate quantities of legumes, nuts, and low-fat milk products. Among Adventists it is generally recommended that foods containing sugar, saturated fats, cholesterol, and salt should be eaten on only rare occasions. The consumption of soft drinks, alcohol, coffee, tea, and any other caffeine-containing beverages are not accepted by Adventists. Even the vegetarian Adventists eat very little milk products (an average of 150 ml of milk) and quite a bit of soya. Healthy vegetarian men lived by average more than 13 years longer than other Californian men of the same age group!
The body as a temple of God! Let us take care of it properly, it is part of our service of the Lord.
Final advice off topic: After getting up in the morning drink at least half a liter of warm water. It can save your life. We lose at least 0,5 liter of liquid during the night by breathing and sweating, even more in hot climates. So our circulation dehydrates and our blood thickens. This is the main reason why the risk of stroke and heart attack is three time higher after getting up in the morning.
Dr. med. Ludwig Jacob
If you want to know more scientific facts and details:
B12 deficiency, high homocysteine, the upcoming dementia epidemic
Science and pure observation show that many members of the worldwide devotee community are complicit in this epidemic of neuro-degenerative and cardiovascular diseases. I am a emdical doctor, Ph.D. and specialist in vegetarian and vegan diets. My 500-page book on nutrition and lifestyle has become a bestseller amongst M.D.s, nutritional scientists and naturopaths in Germany. It was edited and lauded by the world-wide leading expert on vegetarian diet, Prof. Claus Leitzmann, an officially elected “living legend” amongst the world-wide elite of nutritional scientists. My book is not based on personal opinion or hearsay but on sound science, over 1400 cited studies and with excellent reviews from experts.
My research and personal experience with devotees disturbingly shows me that we urgently need to improve our eating and health habits. In Mayapur I talked to approx. 30 elderly devotees who were blissfully unaware of the essential need of B12, (including three devotees with Parkinson), the lack of B12 and high homocysteine.
Pathogenesis of Alzheimer and Parkinson are very similar, just in different parts of the brain. So Parkinson presents earlier. Both have the same specific protein deposits. It is clear that all neuro-degenerative diseases start with these protein deposits in the brain.
Studies show that not only homocysteine, which is made by the metabolisation of methionine, but also other methionine metabolites increases damage to the cardiovascular and nervous system. In addition, it brings a lot of saturated fatty acids that are known to increase Alzheimer risk. Also milk and other protein sources can increase homocysteine in the elderly.
Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin that your body does not produce, which means you must get it via your diet or supplements. Vitamin B12 is essential for the maintenance of your central nervous system, including the conduction of nerve impulses and producing the myelin sheath, which protects and “insulates” your nerves. Vitamin B12 is among the stored vitamins, which is why specific clinical symptoms become only apparent when chronic deficiency is already manifest and pronounced. Chronic Vitamin B12 deficiency can result in irreversible neurological disorders and haematological alterations like microcytic anaemia and pernicious anaemia.
Vitamin B12 deficiency yields only non-specific symptoms which is why it is often not recognised and treated on time. To catch latent shortage persons in risk groups should have their Vitamin B12 levels tested every two to three years. Nitrosative stress is notorious in causing rapid Vitamin B12 depletion. If Vitamin B is known to be deficient it must be supplemented initially in high dosages.
Studies from the USA Framingham trial show nearly 40 percent of the USA population may have suboptimal blood levels of vitamin B12, which is a level low enough to experience neurological symptoms. Another 9 percent were considered deficient in the vitamin, while 16 percent were near deficient. Vitamin B12 deficiency is more common in the elderly. This is because stomach acid decreases as you get older, and stomach acid is essential for your body to absorb Vitamin B12. Many symptoms often attributed to ageing may actually be due to Vitamin B12 deficiency. This includes memory loss, cognitive decline, muscle weakness and more. Low levels were common in young people and the elderly alike.
Why Low Levels of Vitamin B12 Are Often Missed
Most physicians do not routinely test their patients’ Vitamin B12 levels. Levels considered “normal” in the USA may still be too low. Normal ranges of Vitamin B12 in the USA are 200 pg/mL to 1100 pg/mL, even though people at the lower end of this spectrum (between 200 pg/mL and 350 pg/mL) often have symptoms of Vitamin B12 deficiency. Various studies show that B12 levels below 308 pmol/L more than triple the risk of premature loss of brain volume (brain atrophy) compared with people with B12 levels above 386 pmol/L. In fact, if your levels are below 600 pg/mL, you might be suffering from B12 deficiency. Integrative medicine practitioner Chris Kresser explains, “In Japan and Europe the lower limit for B12 is between 500 to 550 pg/mL, the level associated with psychological and behavioural manifestations such as cognitive decline, dementia and memory loss.”
Experts who specialise in the diagnosis and treatment of B12 deficiencies suggest treating all patients who are symptomatic and have B12 levels less than 450 pg/mL. This is especially true if homocysteine is increased. Low levels can also lead to mental fogginess, memory troubles, muscle weakness, and fatigue, one of the hallmark signs.
Vitamin B12 also plays a role in:
• Proper digestion, food absorption, iron use, carbohydrate and fat metabolism
• Healthy nervous system function
• Promotion of normal nerve growth and development
• Help with regulation of the formation of red blood cells
• Cell formation and longevity
• Proper circulation
• Adrenal hormone production
• Healthy immune system function
• Support of female reproductive health and pregnancy
• Feelings of well-being and mood regulation
• Mental clarity, concentration, memory function
• Physical, emotional, and mental energy
Vitamin B12 Is Crucial for Mental and Cognitive Health
Vitamin B12’s role in brain and mental health is particularly significant and can cause a range of neurological disturbances that mimics depression, dementia and confusion, as well as serious mental illness. B-group vitamins may slow brain shrinkage by as much as seven-fold in brain regions specifically known to be most impacted by Alzheimer’s disease. Among participants taking high doses of folic acid and vitamins B6 and B12, blood levels of homocysteine were lowered, as was the associated brain shrinkage — by up to 90 percent.
Oral Vitamin B12 Supplements Are Difficult to Absorb
Many people, including the elderly, those with gut disorders and vegetarians and vegans, could benefit from adding extra vitamin B12 to their diet. There is one problem with supplements however, which is the poor absorption rate of oral Vitamin B12 supplements. Vitamin B12 is the largest vitamin molecule known. Because of its large size it is not easily absorbed passively like most other supplements, making many, if not most, oral B12 supplements grossly ineffective. This is why vitamin B12 is often given via injection, especially for people with absorption issues. Sublingual (under your tongue) sprays are also effective, as they allow the large B12 molecule to be absorbed directly into your bloodstream.
Specifics of treating vitamin B12 deficiency
With gastrointestinal tract impairment (atrophic gastritis, troubled secretion of the intrinsic factor in the stomach, resection of the terminal ileum) it must be checked whether a high dosed oral supplements (e.g. 0,5 – 1 mg per day as sublingual tablets) is sufficient to correct the deficiency or whether intramuscular administration will be required. A high dose of oral substitution can in most instances achieve similar good results as an intramuscular supply. The degree of success should be monitored by laboratory analysis. If the deficit originated in the insufficient intake through food sources and was successfully remedied by high dosed Vitamin B12 administration, a daily dose of 10 μg may already be adequate to subsequently maintain proper levels.
How Hyperhomocysteinemia Leads to Dementia
In hyperhomocysteinemia, homocysteine levels can range from 14 micro-moles/litre all the way up to 100 micro-moles/litre in severe cases. Elevated homocysteine damages endothelial cells that line blood vessels and induces thrombosis that can lead to heart attacks and stroke. Homocysteine produces breaks in DNA and induces apoptosis (a programmed cell suicide) that is a major cause of neuronal death in dementia. Numerous studies offer clues as to the various ways in which high levels of homocysteine induce the vascular and neuronal damage implicated in the development of dementia. Experiments in cell cultures show that homocysteine can directly kill neurones of the hippocampus, the area of the brain associated with memory. Cell death was induced by oxidative stress, DNA damage, and apoptosis.
Homocysteine and Brain Shrinkage:
VITACOG is a two-year trial of homocysteine-lowering B-vitamins in individuals over 70 years with mild cognitive impairment. Participants were given either a high dose B-vitamins (0.8 mg folic acid, 0.5 mg vitamin B12 and 20 mg of vitamin B6) or a placebo. Their rate of brain shrinkage was measured by a series of MRI scans. Complete scans were available for 83 placebo and 85 treated individuals. Homocysteine levels fell by 22.5% in treated subjects but increased by 7.7% in those given a placebo.
As in earlier studies, higher homocysteine was associated with a faster rate of brain shrinkage. But brain shrinkage was significantly less (slowed by 30%!) in treated individuals with an initial homocysteine level >9.5 μmol/L. Remarkably, after treating with B vitamins, those with the highest initial homocysteine levels (>13 μmol/L) had a rate of brain shrinkage 53% lower than the placebo group.
In summary, VITACOG shows that a combination of high dose B12, folic acid and B6 significantly slows brain shrinkage in patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment and raised homocysteine. The team has now looked in greater detail at brain scans from 156 volunteers who took part in the VITACOG study. Rather than focusing on total brain shrinkage, as reported in 2010, they now looked at shrinkage in different regions of the brain. Of the 156 volunteers that took part in the study, 77 had homocysteine levels greater than 11.06μmol/L. Compared to participants with lower levels, those with higher homocysteine had a faster rate of shrinkage specifically in the parts of the brain known to be affected in Alzheimer’s disease. B vitamin treatment slowed the shrinkage in these particular regions by almost 9-fold (from 5.2% to 0.6%) over the two-year period. In contrast, B vitamin treatment had no effect on participants with lower levels of homocysteine.
Rates of brain atrophy may depend on omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin B
A new study reveals that the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA (the kind found in fatty fish like salmon) may determine whether vitamin B treatment can slow brain shrinkage. Higher blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids had previously been linked to larger brain volume in older adults. Researchers from University of Oxford led by Dr. David Smith examined data from the VITACOG trial, a 2-year randomised, placebo-controlled trial examining the effects of vitamin B treatment on brain shrinkage and memory loss in older adults with mild cognitive impairment. People with high levels of omega-3 fatty acids had up to 40% less brain shrinkage if treated with B vitamins. But in people with low blood levels of omega-3s, B vitamin treatment had no effect on brain atrophy. As noted by the authors, “There was a significant interaction between B vitamin treatment and plasma combined omega-3 fatty acids (eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid) on brain atrophy rates. In subjects with high baseline omega-3 fatty acids (>590 μmol/L = 186 mg/l), B vitamin treatment slowed the mean atrophy rate by 40 percent compared with placebo.
B vitamin treatment had no significant effect on the rate of atrophy among subjects with low baseline omega-3 fatty acids (<390 μmol/L = 123 mg/l). High baseline omega-3 fatty acids were associated with a slower rate of brain atrophy in the B vitamin group but not in the placebo group. It is also suggested that the beneficial effect of omega-3 fatty acids on brain atrophy may be confined to subjects with good B vitamin status.”
Thank you for this valuable information Doctorji, but what is the best and most practically way to increase our B12 intake and how do we know it is enough?
Thank you so much for such detail and valuable information. I personally appreciate very much your willingness to help devotees improve their health. Would be OK with you if I request you for your e-mail address to contact you in private? My e-mail is: Surapala@pamho.net
Your servant,
Surapala dasa
Just my own experience but so far I have managed to raise my B12 level from 70 to 330 using B12 injections (methyl cobal ampoules). I learnt how to give myself these injections no problem. You will know it is enough by retesting your blood periodically.
I can see why vitamin B12 deficiency would be a problem for vegans, but why would it be a problem for vegetarians? IMHO, lumping vegans and vegetarians together, with no discrimination whatsoever, is a very big defect of this article.
from reading various articles about b12 i was under the impresion that the body produces b12 in the lower colin and if the body is healthy b12 can be re absorbed!
i would be intrested to know what is your experiance of this re absorbtion idea?
one other point i had a blood cheaks a few times after i had a bout of severe phnewmonia and was very week and run down from it and they told me i wasent deficiant in b12 or anything else may-be as you say in your article here we need more than the minimum recomended amount i dont know
thanks
gaura pd
All the more reason for devotees to live with cows, who produce B12 in Manure-loads!
See my article on this here: http://www.paulrodneyturner.com/2014/04/this-is-why-i-am-not-vegan.html
It’s my humble experience that each individual has to experiment and discover for him or herself what’s actually beneficial to them with regards to health and health products.
That being said, I’ve personally experienced good results with the following sublingual (under the tongue) Vitamin B12 liquid. I notice it helps sharpen my concentration and gives my body more energy. My aging mother also benefited from taking it regularly.
http://nutristart.com/products/quick-b12/
But once again, it’s often different for each person according to body type and individual nutritional needs.
Hare Krishna.
As far as I know, Srila Prabupada never took any vitamin supplements and he never told any of his disciples to do so. If it’s good enough for Prabhupada, then it’s good enough for me! :-)
PRABHUPĀDA: Therefore follow taking prasādam. Let whatever may happen.
TAMĀLA KṚṢṆA: That’s the best thing. Let us die eating prasādam.
PRABHUPĀDA: Yes. [laughter] That is devotee.
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Morning Walk — July 1, 1975, Denver
By even breathing the air a cow exhales we get vitamin B12. A cow centered culture organized in accordance with the principles of Vedic varnashrama dharma could easily support ten times the present global population in idyllic conditions. It would be like living in svarga (heaven). Are we willing to scale back voluntarily or will it take a major global catastrophe? I’m hoping for the former yet fully expecting the latter eventuality.
By the way, I was in the hospital four times due to emergency. Normally I don’t take vitamins, but I’ve found that the Vitamin B-12 drops have helped me recover. My mother had the same experience. Other vitamins have never worked for either of us. That’s the reason I shared my experience here. I thought it might be helpful for some devotees in a similar situation if they’re so inclined. But it’s always up to the individual to decide what’s right for them, of course.
“Srila Prabhupada did say a lot of things about devotees taking care of their health. The general instruction was ‘any kind of medicine is OK if it works.’ He wasn’t particularly attached to any medical system although he did say, as quoted above in Bombay, that allopathic was medicine for the demons because of its strong side effects. He generally wouldn’t bother with it.
The only allopathic medicine I saw him take on several occasions was a diuretic pill in order to reduce his frequent bouts of uremia. This is a condition caused by malfunctioning kidneys. The uric acid is not properly eliminated and the extremities of the body swell with fluid. It’s painful and Srila Prabhupada would sometimes take a half a diuretic pill to pass out some of the excess fluid. Once the swelling went down he would stop taking it. He did mention that even Ayurvedic medicines sometimes contain animal products.”
(Hari Sauri das, TD 3, June 27, 1976, New Vrindaban, West Virginia)
“If he did decide to take medicine he favored Ayurvedic medicines. He didn’t have much regard for homeopathic or allopathic remedies. I once asked him what homeopathic medicine was. I was completely ignorant of it at that time. Srila Prabhupada laughed and said, ‘It is just some colored water.’ Of course he was being rather dismissive of it, but he did consult with homeopathic doctors on a couple of occasions. However he never really seriously applied himself to taking their medicines. That was not because of any inherent prejudice against it. In general he just preferred not to take medicine.”
(Hari Sauri das, TD 4, August 15, 1976, Bombay)
The main idea here should be that you need your health to perform your service. This is practical for us who are not on Srila Prabhupada’s level, and one would be foolish to think they can offer quality service without a somewhat healthy body and sound mind. They usually go hand-in-hand.
We have to know the difference between what we think is detachment and what could actually be abuse.
If we compare our personal bodies and minds with that of the uttama adhikari pure devotee, we will run into some serious conflicts, and on a spiritual level at that. Srila Prabhupada could transcend the attacks of material energy and make miracles happen that we could only dream of. If you or I were close to that level, “that is devotee” , then we would easily be able to follow him by his example.
Srila Prabhupada’s pastimes are the ideal, just as attaining Krishna prema in this life is the ideal, the goal. But who among us can say we are “there” yet? So if you are there, then by all means, just engage in your service to guru and Krishna and don’t be so concerned with your physical pain and the deterioration of your body. But if you are not “there” yet then it’s best to heed Prabhupada’s own words directed to us personally. In other words, it’s better to “don’t do as I do, do as I say.”
Letter: My Dear Jadurani, Please accept my blessings. I am so glad to receive your handwriting letter after so long a time, and from your handwriting I can understand that Krishna is keeping you in good health. You must take care of your health, and under the direction of your good husband. I have especially entrusted you in his hand so that he may take proper care of your health, and everyone is pleased about your nice combination. Both of you are very serious students in Krishna Consciousness and on account of your service __, Krishna always will help you in all respects….
Prabhupada once advised a disciple “Your first business is to look after your health, because if you don’t feel well everything will be topsy-turvy.”
Prabhupada wrote to one disciple who was sick which was keeping him from his business, “You must have the best kind of treatment available, and you can spend from the money you are collecting on behalf of Krishna.”
So he left that “best kind of treatment available” up to the discretion of each one of us.
Srila Prabhupada called disease, “Maya’s agent”. So isn’t that what we are fighting? Or do we surrender to Maya’s abuse? Do we also become agents of Maya by allowing disease to take control of our lives and the lives of our god-brothers/sisters without at least trying to help them in some way out of empathy?
“Actually, medicine is not the remedial measure for our bodily troubles unless we are helped by Krishna. Therefore, whenever there is bodily trouble we may adopt the prescribed methods of medical science and depend upon Krishna for His mercy.”
This statement by Srila Prabhupada shows his compassion and understanding of our condition which is that of conditioned souls, which we are. We are to depend on Krishna in all circumstances whether terribly ill or at the peak of health, and that is how we are trained. When there is bodily troubles, and we know there certainly will be many, “we may adopt the prescribed methods of medical science”.
“I am glad to learn that Jadurani is feeling a little better and I hope you will take proper care fore the girl. I understand that Govinda dasi has recommended Jadurani to take Iron pills and almost all the girls here are taking them. It is compensating the deficiency due to their past habit of meat taking. This is a good recommendation and I hope Jadurani is trying to follow it. Here it is understood that Nandarani, Syama dasi, and others, as well as Govinda dasi are feeling better from taking iron medicine.”
(Srila Prabhupada letter, November 18, 1968)
Between 1970 and 1997, I lived in several ISKCON temples: Detroit, Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Gita Nagari, New Vrindaban, Alachua, Berkeley, Denver, and St. Louis. In all that time, I never heard of Srila Prabhupada or any of the temple devotees taking any kind of dietary supplements. In the early days, Prabhupada had to tolerate some bad habits that his disciples still clung to. But ISKCON gradually became purified of most of these bad habits. One example is bathing naked. Even though Prabhupada never bathed naked, his disciples just never caught on. Therefore, in Los Angeles in 1972 or ’73, Prabhupada had to finally order his disciples to stop bathing naked!
Prabhupada openly admitted he was not a nutritionist and it is clear from his statement: “It is compensating the deficiency due to their past habit of meat taking.” Meat is actually full of iron.
There are two types of iron — heme, which is found in animal foods, and non-heme, which is from plants. It is true that heme iron (the kind from animals) is better absorbed than non-heme iron. Vegetarians and vegans may have lower iron stores than omnivores.
It’s important to note that while vegetarians have lower stores of iron than omnivores, they do not have higher rates of anemia. Many vegetarians’ stores are “low-normal,” but this does not mean less than ideal! Actually, there’s some evidence that says low-normal iron stores are beneficial: improved insulin function and lower rates of heart disease and cancer.
Some of the best plant sources of iron include:
Legumes: lentils, soybeans, tofu, tempeh, lima beans
Grains: quinoa, fortified cereals, brown rice, oatmeal
Nuts and seeds: pumpkin, squash, pine, pistachio, sunflower, cashews, unhulled sesame
Vegetables: tomato sauce, swiss chard, collard greens,
Other: blackstrap molasses, prune juice
B12 is a very big problem for vegetarians who do not eat a healthy, balanced diet, but it is especially a big problem for vegans. If we live as Krishna intended, amongst cows, we will get plenty of B12.
Priyavrata Das said: Prabhupada openly admitted he was not a nutritionist and it is clear from his statement: “It is compensating the deficiency due to their past habit of meat taking.” Meat is actually full of iron.
Somehow, you got a completely different interpretation from my reading of that quote.
I see Srila Prabhupada simply saying that because of getting iron from their previous meat eating habits and while transitioning to a vegetarian diet, they can take iron supplements until their bodies adapt to absorbing iron from vegetables. I think that’s common sense. Just look at the year he said that, 1968.
With Iron, meat-eaters can have the problem of going in the other direction.. Research has shown that a surplus of iron could be damaging to health in connection with possible toxicity and an increase in cardio-vascular diseases.
My understanding of Srila Prabhupada’s words is that the deficiency is due to once having depended on the meat diet, the change to vegetarian diet now requires the girls to take iron pills for awhile. The abrupt change from a heme to a non-heme iron diet can easily drop the needed amount of iron, more so in young women than men of course, so they would need to eat properly to gradually metabolize the veggie iron they need. Not all temples were equipped with practicing nutritionists of course and the food nutrition needed for these young changing bodies was different for each individual..
The normal daily amount of iron needed in the diet for males is about 9 mg and for females during the reproductive period about 15 mg.
IRON…
nuts = 5.0 mg, per 100 grams
lettuce, = 4.0 mg per 100 grams
dried apricots= 2.0 mg per half cup
lentils = 2.9 mg per 100 g (6.6 mg of iron per 1/2 cup!) ,
black beans 1 cup, boiled = 3.6 mgs of iron
peanut butter (if not allergic) = 2.9 mg per 100 g (the same amount of iron in 100g of steak!)
oatmeal 1/2 cup = 1.7 mgs of iron
potatoes = 1 medium potato with skin) = 3.2 mgs of iron
raisins 1/2 cup= 1.6 mg of iron
sun dried tomatoes 1 cup = 4.9 mgs of iron
cooked spinach 1 cup = 6.4 mg of iron!
cooked kale 1 cup = 1.1 mg of iron
dried thyme = 1.2 mg of iron per teaspoon
milk = 0.0 mg of iron but has some B12 in it, so It’s better to consume milk and dairy products between meals because the calcium inhibits the absorption of iron..
I think we can safely say that Srila Prabhupada knew meat has iron in it, just that he saw the change from meat iron to veggie iron needs the compensation of something to cross that bridge. So as a temporary measure he allowed them to take the pills on Govinda dasi’s suggestion. Gradually the non-heme iron diet, if eating the right foods each day (healthy prasad), would provide what a vegetarian body needs.
The vegan movement has no place for cows in their world, They don’t have the education on the importance of the cow in human society for providing the needed B12 vitamin. Plants do absorb B12 analogue when fertilized with cow dung, but if vegans rely on just their store-bought organic veggies for vitamin B12 they really don’t know what amount, if any, B12 they are getting because the soil of those plants were probably not fertilized with cow dung!
It has been documented that a large number of vegans suffer from B12 deficiency, even though they consume significant amounts of organic foods. So their eating habits are not a long-term solution for providing vitamin B12.
Lactose intolerants would need to take a vegetarian B complex, otherwise, a good source of B12 is ghee, yogurt, unpasteurized organic milk (best is straight from your beloved protected cow!) cheese etc..
100 grams of whey powder provides 42% of the DV (Daily Value) = percentage of what a vegetarian needs each day.
The problem with this article is that although the warning to devotees to eat properly is well taken, it plays down the importance of milk products in a devotee diet and does not address the actual cause of Western devotee ill-health. The author talks about the Vegetarian Adventists who had very little milk in their diet and instead had lots of soya and lived 13 years longer on average than their regional counterparts. We cannot substitute milk for soya, we are not Adventists.
Although the author gives a recommendation on how devotees should eat, he does not mention the recommended or observable examples of Srila Prabhupada and previous generations of devotees within our tradition. I heard in a recording or read (can’t remember exactly) Srila Prabhupada saying that rice, dhal, chapatis and vegetables will give one long life without diseases. Anyway, Srila Prabhupada mentions in many places the benefits of simple rice, dhal etc, like here:
Foodstuffs in the mode of goodness are described in the sastras as wheat, rice, vegetables, fruits, milk, sugar, and milk products. Simple food like rice, dhal, chapatis, vegetables, milk and sugar constitute a balanced diet, – SP SB 4.26.13 purport
Previously, there was no refined sugar in India but mostly jaggery, a raw form of sugar.
The author blames the high incidence of dementia and cardiovascular and other diseases on a lack of B12 – which we know devotees should get from milk products. On the other hand, he says that milk and milk products are a cause of these diseases.
He also advocates for other vitamin supplements instead of encouraging recommended devotee diets. Surely a devotee with faith could see how this is wrong – that Krsna would not create imperfectly. Besides taking what comes out of the earth; we cannot also take additional vitamin supplements?
He says that B12 supplement is a must for people over the age of fifty as milk no longer meets our needs. But more than half of India is likely vegetarian and they probably never even heard of B12. One can observe the lifespan of the “so called” higher classes in India who have the means to eat properly and are mostly vegetarian – they live longer than Westerners, I would think.
It is significant that the author mentions an ayurvedic doctor who says that the number one cause of neuro-generative diseases in “Western devotees” is the high consumption of paneer and cheese. It’s foolish to eat paneer everyday but don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater. Milk products are necessary for a balanced diet.
to be continued
The heart of the problem regarding a milk diet which this devotee doctor neglects to mention is that Western devotees especially, love to “cheese it”. On pizzas, macaroni, spaghetti, lasagna… Cheeses with quick foods are staples for many Western devotees. Even on ekadasi, cheese is everywhere. I am reluctant to denounce the purity of a milk product but cheese is really putrid. It’s preserved for anywhere between 3 months to 2 years to mature, sometimes with accounts of worms and insects breeding on it. There were no such cheeses during Vedic times and we can imagine that the intelligent Brahmans would have experimented and introduced it if it was beneficial.
I sometimes eat cheese but we shouldn’t make excuses for its use and instead strive to get to the standard of eating in the mode of goodness.
Many devotees identify the standard diet of rice, chapatis, dhal and vegetables that Srila Prabhupada introduced as hot-pungent. They confuse spices with chili. Using spices is an art – an expert can bring out so many different tastes and flavors and many spices like turmeric, coriander, cardamom and ginger are in the mode of goodness. It’s rare to see devotees that are expert in using spices. Prasadam does not need to be bland, it has to be tasty.
Although Srila Prabhupada said devotees should take care of their health, some become obsessed with this. If devotees followed the proper diet from the beginning as recommended, they would have definitely lived closer to a hundred years, the approximate lifespan in this age of Kali.
Please devotees, it may be too late for most of us but think of our children. It’s difficult to avoid processed foods even with a vegetarian diet living in cities. Twenty or thirty years ago, it was rare to know of someone with cancer. Now, every third or fourth person you meet in the West has or knows someone who has cancer. Also dementia and autism, heart problems and other diseases are becoming an epidemic there. For the sake of your children and the future of our society, relocate to farm communities. Surely you would want your children to live to a hundred years; after all it’s the lifespan given for this age of Kali. It’s unnatural to take supplements in Krsna’s perfect creation and putting it ahead of the merits of a recommended devotee diet as an alternative shows a lack of faith
What about American style cheese? As far as I know, it’s not aged at all.
Excellent points, Nitai prabhu. The problem is that most people today eat a very sanitized diet. If we lived, as Prabhupada asked to, growing our food on the land and amongst cows, then b12 would not be such a critical problem. But most people do not, including most ISKCON devotees. We have all become so accustomed to living disconnected from nature. I have addressed the “stain” in the vegan diet in my article http://www.paulrodneyturner.com/2014/04/this-is-why-i-am-not-vegan.html and as you pointed out, things like cheese are so overrated by the devotees. Alas, Prabhupada’s constant reminder to us all that spiritual life begins with the tongue. We can get ample b12 if we live with protected cows and only take the milk that has been lovingly offered by them.