I have strong anecdotal evidence that the B-12 in this cheap multi-vitamin is absolutely inadequate. I have been a strict vegetarian or vegan for over a decade. I do not fudge at all. I do not go out to eat, so it's very unlikely that I will ingest an animal product by accident. What this means is that I am completely dependent on synthesized B-12 to meet my nutritional requirements. I began taking this tablet a few years ago along with a sublingual B-12 tablet. Due to a tightening budget, I stopped taking the additional B-12.
B-12 Deficiency is usually slow to develop, and one of the major symptoms, cognitive impairment, starts off very subtlety and is quite subjective. In this past year, I began to notice vague cognitive apprehension when trying to perform more complicated tasks like creating formulas in a spreadsheet. I noticed a change in my stool (although, at the time, I just assumed I wasn't eating enough fiber). I also started getting canker sores again (Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis). The cankers are much more quantitative. It starts off as just something that you haven't gotten in a while, but earlier this year, I was deferred from donating blood because of one, then I proceeded to begin getting the cankers two at a time (along with a sore 'puffiness' on the roof of my mouth).
A few months ago, I made only one change in my diet. I began retaking a B-12 tablet. I did have one or two milder cankers at first, but I've been without one for two months now. My mind certainly doesn't feel as 'sharp' as when I was in grade school, but I do think that I have a slightly greater ability to focus on more complicated tasks.
Circumstantial evidence doesn't get much stronger than this. People have been convicted in courts of law on less. The reason that it took so long for me to self-diagnose was my naive assumption that the "100%" B-12 stated on the label was accurate enough. It's very important to realize that the labels in the self-regulated vitamin/supplement industry don't necessarily mean anything. I could sell a bottle of dirt, which would contain a rich variety of minerals; however, almost all of these minerals cannot be absorbed by the human body. (You saw what happened when bankers are allowed to self-regulate; the same is true for the vitamin/supplement manufacturers.)
I guarantee you that the people at Deva (a distributer, not an actual manufacturer) have never tested the efficacy of this product with actual vegans. Last I checked, B-12 is the one necessary nutrient that has no reliable plant sources. In a vegan multi-vitamin, B-12 is everything. Vitamin D, manganese, calcium, and the rest are all important, but vegans are going to get at least trace amounts from eating basic foodstuffs and walking outside. Vegans don't even get trace amounts of B-12. A vegan multivitamin that doesn't supply B-12 is completely pointless.
The false sense of confidence that these charlatans instill unto the unsuspecting customer is nauseating (no that's not the B-12 deficiency talking). Some of the effects of significant B-12 deficiency are irreversible. If I had a million dollar lawyer on hand, I would bring suit against the disreputable people at Deva for gross negligence. I might also include in the suit the people at the Vegan Society for certifying such an obviously defective product. It's just a reminder how silly and non-thorough those 'vegan' certifications are. Below are a couple credible sources that you can search for to learn more about B-12 and it's ability to reduce the occurrence of canker sores (recurrent aphthous stomatitis).
Resources (internet search should return these as the 1st item):
1) Effectiveness of vitamin B12 in treating recurrent aphthous stomatitis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial - NIH
2) Recurrent aphthous stomatitis - NIH
3) What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Pernicious Anemia? - NIH
4) Brief Comparison of the Three Formulations of Vitamin B12 - centraldrugsr
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