The purpose of this research project was threefold: 1) to determine the present serum vitamin B-12 status in a select group of strict or total vegetarians all of whom had been vegetarian for six months or more. 2) to determine the daily intake of vitamin B-12, total calories, protein, % calories as fat, folic acid, and crude fiber on a total vegetarian diet. 3) to observe if subjects with low serum vitamin B-12 levels and low intakes of oral vitamin B-12 also had elevated methylmalonic acid (MMA) in the urine.
Six of the 19 serum vitamin B-12 levels were below normal. The mean daily intake of vitamin B-12 for the 16 subjects who completed their diet record was 0.4 micrograms/day (ug/day) (range 0.0-1.4 ug/day). Sources of vitamin B-12 included fortified cereals, meat analogues, tofu milk, and soy milk. The results of the urinary methylmalonic acid (UMMA) test from the casual and 24-hour urine specimens showed that 5 out of the 19 subjects (26%) had elevated UMMA indicating an inadequate vitamin B-12 to efficiently metabolize MMA that is produced. Finally, 5 out of the 6 subjects (83%) who had below normal serum vitamin B-12 levels also had elevated UMMA levels.
Based upon this study almost a third of the total vegetarians who did not actively take a cobalamin supplement had below normal serum vitamin B-12 levels. Of this group that had low serum vitamin B-12 levels 83% also had an elevated UMMA indicating a possible biochemical limitation in the body due to a lack of adequate vitamin B-12. It would therefore be prudent to strongly recommend that this population supplement their diet with a reliable vitamin B-12 source on a regular basis.
","abstract_html":"<p>The purpose of this research project was threefold: 1) to determine the present serum vitamin B-12 status in a select group of strict or total vegetarians all of whom had been vegetarian for six months or more. 2) to determine the daily intake of vitamin B-12, total calories, protein, % calories as fat, folic acid, and crude fiber on a total vegetarian diet. 3) to observe if subjects with low serum vitamin B-12 levels and low intakes of oral vitamin B-12 also had elevated methylmalonic acid (MMA) in the urine.</p> <p>Six of the 19 serum vitamin B-12 levels were below normal. The mean daily intake of vitamin B-12 for the 16 subjects who completed their diet record was 0.4 micrograms/day (ug/day) (range 0.0-1.4 ug/day). Sources of vitamin B-12 included fortified cereals, meat analogues, tofu milk, and soy milk. The results of the urinary methylmalonic acid (UMMA) test from the casual and 24-hour urine specimens showed that 5 out of the 19 subjects (26%) had elevated UMMA indicating an inadequate vitamin B-12 to efficiently metabolize MMA that is produced. Finally, 5 out of the 6 subjects (83%) who had below normal serum vitamin B-12 levels also had elevated UMMA levels.</p> <p>Based upon this study almost a third of the total vegetarians who did not actively take a cobalamin supplement had below normal serum vitamin B-12 levels. Of this group that had low serum vitamin B-12 levels 83% also had an elevated UMMA indicating a possible biochemical limitation in the body due to a lack of adequate vitamin B-12. It would therefore be prudent to strongly recommend that this population supplement their diet with a reliable vitamin B-12 source on a regular basis.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Patchett, Shari H."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science (MS)","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Nutrition","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["U. D. Register","Lee Berk","Kenneth Burke","Patricia K. Johnston"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":1991,"date_issued":"1991-06-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"1991-06-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:53:20Z","subjects":["Nutrition","Diet; Vitamin B 12; Methylmalonic Acid; Vegetarianism"],"languages":["English"],"rights":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/957","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["U. D. Register","Lee Berk","Kenneth Burke","Patricia K. Johnston"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Patchett, Shari H."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Nutrition"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MS)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Nutrition","Diet; Vitamin B 12; Methylmalonic Acid; Vegetarianism"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/957"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The purpose of this research project was threefold: 1) to determine the present serum vitamin B-12 status in a select group of strict or total vegetarians all of whom had been vegetarian for six months or more. 2) to determine the daily intake of vitamin B-12, total calories, protein, % calories as fat, folic acid, and crude fiber on a total vegetarian diet. 3) to observe if subjects with low serum vitamin B-12 levels and low intakes of oral vitamin B-12 also had elevated methylmalonic acid (MMA) in the urine.
Six of the 19 serum vitamin B-12 levels were below normal. The mean daily intake of vitamin B-12 for the 16 subjects who completed their diet record was 0.4 micrograms/day (ug/day) (range 0.0-1.4 ug/day). Sources of vitamin B-12 included fortified cereals, meat analogues, tofu milk, and soy milk. The results of the urinary methylmalonic acid (UMMA) test from the casual and 24-hour urine specimens showed that 5 out of the 19 subjects (26%) had elevated UMMA indicating an inadequate vitamin B-12 to efficiently metabolize MMA that is produced. Finally, 5 out of the 6 subjects (83%) who had below normal serum vitamin B-12 levels also had elevated UMMA levels.
Based upon this study almost a third of the total vegetarians who did not actively take a cobalamin supplement had below normal serum vitamin B-12 levels. Of this group that had low serum vitamin B-12 levels 83% also had an elevated UMMA indicating a possible biochemical limitation in the body due to a lack of adequate vitamin B-12. It would therefore be prudent to strongly recommend that this population supplement their diet with a reliable vitamin B-12 source on a regular basis.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Serum Vitamin B-12 Levels and Urinary Methylmalonate Excretion in Total Vegetarians"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["U. D. Register","Lee Berk","Kenneth Burke","Patricia K. Johnston"],"dc:creator":["Patchett, Shari H."],"dc:description.abstract":["The purpose of this research project was threefold: 1) to determine the present serum vitamin B-12 status in a select group of strict or total vegetarians all of whom had been vegetarian for six months or more. 2) to determine the daily intake of vitamin B-12, total calories, protein, % calories as fat, folic acid, and crude fiber on a total vegetarian diet. 3) to observe if subjects with low serum vitamin B-12 levels and low intakes of oral vitamin B-12 also had elevated methylmalonic acid (MMA) in the urine.
Six of the 19 serum vitamin B-12 levels were below normal. The mean daily intake of vitamin B-12 for the 16 subjects who completed their diet record was 0.4 micrograms/day (ug/day) (range 0.0-1.4 ug/day). Sources of vitamin B-12 included fortified cereals, meat analogues, tofu milk, and soy milk. The results of the urinary methylmalonic acid (UMMA) test from the casual and 24-hour urine specimens showed that 5 out of the 19 subjects (26%) had elevated UMMA indicating an inadequate vitamin B-12 to efficiently metabolize MMA that is produced. Finally, 5 out of the 6 subjects (83%) who had below normal serum vitamin B-12 levels also had elevated UMMA levels.
Based upon this study almost a third of the total vegetarians who did not actively take a cobalamin supplement had below normal serum vitamin B-12 levels. Of this group that had low serum vitamin B-12 levels 83% also had an elevated UMMA indicating a possible biochemical limitation in the body due to a lack of adequate vitamin B-12. It would therefore be prudent to strongly recommend that this population supplement their diet with a reliable vitamin B-12 source on a regular basis.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/957"],"dc:language":["English"],"dc:rights":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights."],"dc:subject":["Nutrition","Diet; Vitamin B 12; Methylmalonic Acid; Vegetarianism"],"dc:title":["Serum Vitamin B-12 Levels and Urinary Methylmalonate Excretion in Total Vegetarians"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Nutrition"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:53:20Z"}