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Vegetarians and Vegans Have Elevated Homocysteine Levels

According to a new study, vegetarians and vegans are at an increased risk of having elevated homocysteine levels, which has been shown in many studies to cause adverse health effects.

Researchers compared homocysteine (Hcy) levels in 62 vegetarians, 32 vegans, and 59 people consuming an omnivorous diet.

Compared to the omnivorous group, whose avg. Hcy levels were about 10.2 mmol/l, levels in the other groups were found to be:


Greater than 50% higher in the vegan group (15.8 mmol/l)

About 30% higher in the vegetarian group (13.2 mmol/l)
The authors note that the vegan diet provides essentially no vitamin B12, and people following vegetarian diets may suffer from a deficit as well, due to the lower levels in the diet.

In addition, people consuming the vegan and vegetarian diets were also not getting adequate amounts of the essential amino acid methionine, due to the lower methionine content in plant proteins versus animal proteins.

The serum vitamin B12 levels were 37% lower in the vegetarian group and 59% lower in the vegan group, compared with the omnivorous group.

Serum B12 levels:


Vegetarians - 214.8 pmol/l
Vegans - 140.1 pmol/l
Omnivores - 344.7 pmol/l
In addition, B12 levels were low enough to be considered clinically deficient in:


78% of the vegans

26% of the vegetarians

0% of the omnivores
Serum folate levels were within the normal range for all three groups, although they were significantly lower in omnivores.

The authors conclude that "The results show that the mild hyperhomocysteinemia in alternative nutrition is a consequence of vitamin B12 deficiency."

Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism 2000;44:135-138

It is important to note that there are several types of B12. Most people do not absorb it well orally and intramuscular injections are preferred. However some sublingual or spray forms may be beneficial. Methylcobalamin is also far more effective than the traditionally used cynacobalamin.

Homocysteine can cause many problems in addition to heart disease. If a woman is pregnant or may possibly become pregnant, it is very important to keep homocysteine levels low, as it can cause birth defects.

One strong inhibitor of vitamin B12 absorption is the very popular drug Prilosec (omeprazole) which has been clearly shown to decrease B12 absorption (Ann Pharmacother 1999 May;33:641-3). This is possibly due to its effects on decreasing the production of intrinsic factor, which is needed for proper B12 absorption. Other medications likely have similar adverse effects as well.

Strict Vegetarians Can Develop Blindness and Brain Damage


A strict vegan diet -- defined as avoiding the consumption of all animal products -- may lead to deficiency of important vitamins that are critical to eyesight. The warning comes from the case of a French patient who lost most of his eyesight as the result of following a strict vegan diet, without taking vitamins, leading to B12 deficiency. B12 is important in maintaining the health of nerves, including the optic nerve that transmits signals from the eye to the brain.

The case report involves a 33-year-old patient who had been a vegan since the age of 20. His diet contained no eggs, dairy products, fish or animal protein. He had no history of alcohol abuse and did not smoke cigarettes, and he was not taking any vitamin supplements. At the time of examination, the patient was diagnosed with severe optic neuropathy in both eyes, with poor vision of 20/400 each eye. With no evidence of an infectious cause for this severe loss of vision, the researchers took blood samples to check for vitamin deficiencies. They found that his levels of B1, B12, A, C, D, E, zinc, and selenium were all measurably below normal.

The researchers treated the patient by giving him intramuscular and oral multivitamins until his blood levels normalized, but his eyesight did not recover. They concluded that the nutritional deficiencies in the patient's vegan diet -- particularly the insufficient amount of vitamin B12 he had been absorbing -- may be the cause for the deterioration in the optic nerves and the resulting blindness. They note that such damage to the optic nerves may prove to be irreversible.

i tova procheti kravo nasrana kravite se nasirat ot mnogo iadene na treva Ptomaine
(n.) One of a class of animal bases or alkaloids formed in the putrefaction of various kinds of albuminous matter, and closely related to the vegetable alkaloids; a cadaveric poison.
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