Peter:
>> You are a true inspiration but note that B12 deficiency often takes many
>> years to develop.

Jerry:
>thanks for your comments, and I don't have my text available at the
>moment, they are in storage, but breifly, I remember the B12 stores for up
>to 6 months, not years.

The papers you have must be quite old for everything I have read on the
subject indicates that it takes at least a few years to develop.  Also, it
is my understanding that many vegans have mistakenly been tested for
inactive B12 analogues making them look like they were within the normal
range because the labs that ran their tests were not trained or equipped to
tell the difference.

>I cant verify this at the moment, but even if it was a year, It would not
>explain why there  are those of us who use no supplementation, eat no
>animal products and have no signs of any deficiencies after more than 5
>years in my case, and many decades in others.

For some it only takes a few years, for others much longer. I know somebody
who was a strict raw vegan for 22 years and recently came down with a bad
case of B12 deficiency. The early symptoms might be subclinical, go by
unnoticed for a long time or be mistakenly taken as signs of "detox" symptoms.

> The kicker is the antibiotics and other factors, if a vegan takes these,
>has an absorption problem or contitions which cause them to not have B12
>absorbed or made in their colons, then certainly they need to do
>supplementation.

If doubt if we make any ourselves.  What we do seem to have are different
capacities to store it.

> And by all means, if you feel the need to use supplements of B12, or are
>ot sure, taking it is ok, even important.

Especially, if I stay on a vegan diet for many years. ;-)

Best, Peter
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