B12 gap common in vegetarians — fatigue, tingling, poor memory.
Food Remedies
Main remedy
Vegetarian diets are often low in vitamin B12. Sprouting pulses and grains, and fermenting foods like idli, dosa and bhatura, let friendly bacteria make small amounts of B12 while making the food far easier to digest. Eat these fresh and prepared hygienically, and combine with fortified foods or a supplement if your doctor advises, since the amounts vary.
A katori of sprouted moong daily — steamed lightly with a pinch of salt, cumin and lemon. Sprouting raises B-group vitamins and makes protein easy to digest.
Traditional
अंकुरित गेहूँ · Sprouted wheat
Sprouted wheat, dried and ground into flour, makes rotis richer in B vitamins. Fermenting the dough overnight adds more.
Traditional
अंकुरित मूँग आटा · Sprouted moong flour
Flour from dried sprouted moong makes cheela and dhokla more nutritious and higher in B vitamins.
Traditional
इडली · Idli
Steamed fermented rice-urad cakes — the overnight fermentation grows friendly bacteria that make small amounts of B12. Light and easy on any stomach.
Traditional
डोसा · Dosa
A thin crisp crepe of fermented batter — the fermentation improves protein, B vitamins and digestibility. Eat fresh off the pan.
Traditional
उत्तपम · Uttapam
A thick dosa topped with onion, tomato and coriander — same fermented batter, more vegetables, a fuller meal.
Traditional
अप्पम · Appam
A soft lacy pancake of fermented rice batter with a little coconut — light, and the fermentation adds B vitamins.
Traditional
भटूरा · Bhatura
Fried leavened bread of fermented flour — the overnight fermentation with curd raises its B vitamins; eat occasionally as it is fried.
Traditional
कुलचा · Kulcha
Soft leavened flatbread from fermented dough — lighter than bhatura, best fresh from the tandoor.
Traditional
खमीरी रोटी · Khameeri roti
A yeast-leavened wholewheat roti — the fermentation softens the bread and raises its B-group vitamins.
Traditional
On this page Documented — There are human studies behind this ingredient for this particular complaint. Traditional — Carried by tradition and experience; modern evidence for this particular complaint is limited.
All of this is what others have found — tradition, shared experience and the studies done so far. It is not advice given to any one person. Before changing your diet, and especially if you take any medicine, ask your dietician or doctor.
Naturopathy
Prepare batters and sprouts with clean hands and vessels; keep batter covered while it ferments and eat the food fresh.
B12 from fermentation is variable — pair with a doctor-advised supplement if you are strictly vegetarian.
Bhojanveda
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