Is vitamin B12 really a problem in a vegetarian diet?

[World's Healthiest Foods]() Healthy Food Tip & Recipe August 31, 2017 The George Mateljan Foundation is a not-for-profit foundation with no commercial interests or advertising. Our mission is to help you eat and cook the healthiest way for optimal health. Cucumbers are Our Food of the Week [Cucumbers: what's new and beneficial](  Healthy Food Tip Is vitamin B12 really a problem in a vegetarian diet? Yes, intake of vitamin B12 can often be a problem in a vegetarian diet. For example, in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2003-2010, only 55% of vegetarians were determined to meet their daily B12 requirements, in comparison to 82% of non-vegetarians. The issue of vitamin B12 from plant foods versus animal foods is confusing, since no plants or animals are capable of making vitamin B12. Microorganisms—and especially bacteria and fungi—are the only organisms definitively known to produce vitamin B12. [Read More]( Healthy Breakfast Recipe from Day 3 of the WHFoods 7-Day Meal Plan Enjoy this recipe from Day 3 of our upcoming WHFoods 7-Day Meal Plan. We encourage you to sample the recipes that we have been (and will be) previewing over the next several weeks. They are packed with nutrition from the nutrient-rich foods found in each recipe. Each day we will share with you a special tip about the foods included in this week's recipe: Spinach: Chlorophyll is the pigment that gives spinach its renowned green color. Inside the cells of the spinach plant, the places where chlorophyll gets stored are called chloroplasts, and their membranes play an active role in converting sunlight into energy (through a process called photosynthesis). These chloroplast-associated membranes are called thylakoid membranes, or simply thylakoids. Because fresh spinach is such a rich source of chlorophyll (and actually our Number 1 source of chlorophyll at WHFoods, containing about 24 milligrams of chlorophyll per cup), it has often been used in research studies as a source for thylakoids and their potential health benefits. Several recent studies in this area have shown thylakoid-rich extracts from spinach to delay stomach emptying, decrease levels of hunger-related hormones like ghrelin, and increase levels of satiety-related hormones like glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1). Exactly what these changes mean is not yet clear, but researchers hope to eventually determine whether routine intake of spinach can help lower risk of obesity partly because of these thylakoid-related processes. It is also worth noting in this context that several prescription drugs currently used to help treat type 2 diabetes (for example, albiglutide, exanatide, dulaglutide, and liraglutide) work by imitating the activity of GLP-1. For this reason, future studies may find a relationship not only between risk of obesity and spinach intake but risk of type 2 diabetes as well. Satisfying Strawberry Smoothie If you feel you don’t have time for a healthy breakfast try our nutrient-rich Satisfying Strawberry Smoothie. Recent studies have scored strawberries 27th among all commonly consumed U.S. foods (both fruits and non-fruits) in terms of their total antioxidant capacity! Combine the strawberries with the other ingredients in this recipe and you will find this smoothie is a great way to jump start your day and help satiate your hunger until lunch. Since all ingredients are selected from our list of World's Healthiest Foods you are ensured to receive an abundance of health-protective nutrients. When we evaluated this recipe against our WHFoods recommended daily amounts it provided 246% vitamin K, 198% DV for manganese, 189% vitamin C, 48% folate and vitamin B1, 46% fiber, 44% magnesium, 38% niacin, 30% vitamin E, and 23% DV for protein. And much more! Prep and Cook Time: 5 minutes Ingredients: - 1/4 cup old fashioned oats - 1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries, cut into chunks - 1-1/2 cups fresh spinach or curly kale - 1/2 medium banana, fresh or frozen cut into chunks - 1/2 cup fresh or frozen pineapple chunks (of 1/2 cup apple, chopped) - 1 cup coconut water - 3 1" cubes tofu - 3-4 ice cubes (optional) - Water or coconut water to thin - Optional: 1/2-1 tsp grated ginger Directions: - Combine all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. If too thick, add water or coconut water to thin. Serves 1 We would love to hear from you. Please e-mail us your rave reviews, comments, or any suggestions you might have after having tried the recipes from our powerful WHFoods 7-Day Menu, gmf@mauigateway.com. [WHFoods Book 2nd Edition] The World's Healthiest Foods, 2nd Edition is complete and ready to order with 2 free gifts valued at $51.95. All international orders (including Canada) must be placed through Amazon.com. From a happy book owner: I ordered my book and I love it. No one needs another Book besides this one, my second edition. - Bianca [Read more about our book]( $39.95 [buy now]( visit our homepage at Newsletter circulation: over 120,000 Copyright © 2017 The George Mateljan Foundation, All Rights Reserved George Mateljan Foundation, PO Box 25801, Seattle, Washington 98165 [Unsubscribe]( | [Change Subscriber Options](