Re: Droopy skin and wasting.

Hello,

I'm not sure when this was posted, but I'd like to comment on the smell. I have had problems absorbing folate (folic acid) and B-12 since puberty. The symptoms have included liver problems, very low energy, depression, terrible focus, and a horrible smell .

I've been researching this non-stop for the past 7 years. NCBI and Mercola probably have the most accurate information. The smell, I have deduced, is so bad because folic acid and B-12 help to break down phenylalanine - an amino acid. Without proper absorption of these, you have the potential to end up with a sub-clinical version on PKU. It gets worse when you eat meat because meat contains protein, which breaks down into amino acids and phenylalanine is an amino acid). Other side-effects, such as liver problems and unexplained allergies exist because both b-12 and folic acid are involved in the breakdown of homo-cysteine.

Please consider trying methyl-folate and methyl-b-12. They are the metabolically active versions of the vitamins. And also supplementing with a vegetarian-based protein source (whey protein is very affordable and easily absorbed). I strongly believe that lack of protein in the diet is one reason that some vegetarians are so unhealthy. If you take the b-12 and folic acid, the smell should not be so much of a problem, even with protein supplementation. If you're vegan, I've read that pea protein is the most bio-available vegan protein source. Finally, flax seeds are a terrific source of omega-3s and we vegetarians have the ability to convert more of the healthy fats to the bioactive form (DHA). Fat is essential to healthy skin and the absorption of other nutrients. Thanks for reading. I hope you find balance. Tweet