More about pernicious anaemia

There is some evidence that pernicious anemia may be genetic although its mode of inheritance is poorly documented. 

Pernicious anemia was first described in 1855 by the English physician Thomas Addison. The name "pernicious anemia" was coined in 1872 by the German physician Anton Biermer. The studies of George H. Whipple on the effects of feeding liver in anemia followed by those of George R. Minot and Wm. P. Murphy on the effects of feeding liver specifically in pernicious anemia led to the cure of pernicious anemia and to their receiving the Nobel Prize in 1934.

In nature, B₁₂ is solely produced by bacteria found in animals (including humans), so that dirt could actually be considered a natural source of B₁₂. While vegetarians usually get enough B₁₂ through dairy products or eggs, it can sometimes be lacking in those following vegan diet who do not make an effort to find B₁₂ enriched foodstuffs, like enriched cereals, soy-based products or yeast extract. Claimed sources of B12 that have been shown through direct studies of vegans to be inadequate include spirulina (an algae), nori (a seaweed), barley grass, and human gut bacteria. Several studies of vegans on raw food diets show that raw food offers no special protection against B12 deficiency either.

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