B-12 & Other ‘Infusions’…Are They Paleo?

What is your stance on B-12 injections and other vitamin infusions? I know that in theory, if executing a proper Paleo diet, this shouldn’t be necessary. But what if you’ve made the transition and need a “boost” to get you from point A to B?

Another great inquiry came in the other day that I thought was quite fitting for use as a blog topic.

A few things come to mind right away:

• The reader’s use of the word ‘transition’.  A brief transition phase is absolutely to be expected when one makes the change to go Paleo.  However, the important thing to distinguish is this does not mean that one should be walking around overly hungry as a result of taking out all the non Paleo foods while failing to replace adequate calories via paleo-friendly food.  For example, if you used to eat a hearty bowl of oats with soy milk and peanut butter and scrambled eggs with cheese before you began Paleo living, and then you ‘fixed’ it by omitting everything but the egg, you’d be eating a very unbalanced meal far too low in calories.   If, however, you added steamed broccoli, another egg, some berries and some olive oil, you’d be closer to a balanced Paleo (in terms of macro nutrient ratio) that would be more likely to provide enough calories for the first meal of the day.  So, if someone’s feeling they need the ‘boost’ that the reader refers to and they simply mean they need more calories, then they should do just that- get more calories in the form of veggies, protein and fat.
• The reader’s correct in the assumption that if followed properly, Paleo does indeed provide all the minerals and vitamins we need.  With B12 in particular, someone who is Paleo has a far less likely chance of being deficient in B12 compared to a vegan, as the top food sources of cobalalmin are: mollusks, liver, caviar, octopus, finfish, shellfish, beef, lamb and eggs.
• Here’s the caveat:  please keep in mind I’m writing in broad terms here.  This is an overview of a general concept.  I do think there is a time and place when perhaps someone might need more of this mineral or that mineral, but that’s something that needs to be measured by your naturopath (one blood test they may run is the spectra cell analysis), in the event you are feeling something is not functioning properly in your body.  Please don’t self diagnose and rush off to the health food store to stock up on this vitamin, that herb and then some.  Even though they may seem ‘natural’ compared to taking manufactured drugs, you can still create problems for yourself by doing so.

Following the Paleo diet is certainly an ideal way to ensure you’re getting a very good balance of every last mineral and vitamin; just make sure you follow it properly and don’t take things out of context and skew!

If you need help sorting out your questions, I just happen to know of a good person to provide that help; click here to book a consult with me!