Vitamin B-12 and Plant-Based Eating

Brian Tunney
Brian Tunney
5 minute read
June 29, 2022
Image of a prescription pad that reads "Vitamin B-12" with a stethoscope near it.
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Over the past several years, plant-based diets have increased in popularity, and brands such as Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods and Gardein have helped to make the transition away from eating meat easier, with plant-based meat substitutes that mimic the texture and flavor of meat.

And there are a variety of reasons why a plant-based diet is on the rise.

“Whether you are an environmental advocate or want to live your healthiest life, being plant based is the one underlying thread that seems to be compelling to so many of us,” says Maya Feller, RD CDN, a dietician based in N.Y.

In a recent study by Nature Food, researchers found that the global production of food is responsible for a third of all planet-heating gasses emitted by human activity, with the use of animals for meat causing twice the pollution of producing plant-based foods. By switching to plant-based food, you’re actually reducing your environmental footprint. But there’s more to eating plant-based than reducing carbon emissions.

According to the American Heart Association, eating a nutritious, plant-based diet may lower the risk for heart attacks and other types of cardiovascular disease, two new studies show. One found eating a plant-centered diet in young adulthood lowered the risk in middle age for heart attack, stroke, heart failure and several other cardiovascular conditions. A second found eating plant-based foods that lower cholesterol levels reduced the risk of heart disease in postmenopausal women.

So skipping the hamburger and trying a Beyond Burger might not be a bad idea. But, you’ve also got to think about nutrition. And in the process of switching to a plant-based diet, you could be missing some essential vitamins and minerals derived from a meat-based diet.

Vitamin B-12 is one of them, and it’s found almost exclusively in animal products, such as red meat, fish, eggs, dairy products and shellfish. Your body does not produce it, so you need to get it from the foods you eat. And it’s crucial for multiple functions in the body, including: 

  • Maintaining the health of nerve and brain cells
  • Boosting focus and cognitive function (thinking and memory)
  • Assists in making healthy red blood cells and preventing anemia
  • Used to facilitate energy production
  • Protects eye health
  • Helps in duplicating and regulating DNA
  • May help prevent congenital abnormalities (those present at birth)

So, if you’re thinking of giving the plant-based route a try, you should also be thinking about Vitamin B-12 and how you can get it. Fortunately, Restore’s IV Drip Therapy offers Vitamin B-12 (Methylcobalamin) in a variety of drips, in addition to an add-on IV Drip Boost or IM Shot. So you can save the planet, lower your risk for cardiovascular disease and optimize your Vitamin B-12 intake all at once.

To book an IV Drip, click here

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