02/07/2025
Excellent explanation!!!
Medications can also interfere with the absorption of B12 and taking an isolated B vitamin can cause deficiency in the others over time. A good B complex is often needed.
On a weekly basis we have clients bring in their blood work from their medical doctor who checked their B12 levels and told them it was high and to STOP THEIR B12!
Let me explain how this is WRONG!
So many people (especially those over 50 or those with compromised gut health) are deficient in B12. The main reason is it is difficult for the body to absorb B12 in the intestinal tract. One of the most common causes of B12 deficiency is inflammation in the stomach! It’s estimated that up to 50% of the population suffer with undiagnosed bacteria (H. Pylori) which can cause low grade gastritis.
And because it’s subclinical, it’s not caught until you are much older, typically in your 60’s.
So even if you don’t have a gross deficiency of B12 throughout your life, you may feel the biochemical effects of subclinical B12 deficiency in energy production and how you feel.
This is where B12 supplements step in.
You can use B12 supplements to help provide your body with the B12 that it needs with one caveat:
It only works if you used the RIGHT type of B12.
The difference between cyanocobalamin and methylcobalamin is actually very simple.
Both of these products are considered B12 so they don’t differ in that aspect.
Where they differ is in what is attached to the B12.
You can think of this as a carrier product that simply holds onto the B12 portion.
These attachments/carriers help do a number of important things:
Stabilize the active component (in this case B12). Potentially alter when it is absorbed and in what part of the gut. Alter how difficult it is for the body to assimilate or use it. And lastly, they can provide the body with the necessary or unnecessary substrate when the carrier product is cleaved from the B12 by the body.
In the case of cyanocobalamin, B12 is attached to cyanide.
You know, the same chemical compound that can be potentially fatal in large doses to humans.
In the case of methylcobalamin, B12 is attached to a methyl group.
Both of these attachments are really just variations of carbon and hydrogen atoms but the difference between the two is important.
Most formulations of B12 come in the cyanocobalamin form simply because it’s cheaper to produce and manufacture.
But there’s one big problem:
Those who take cyanocobalamin typically don’t feel any better, even while using large doses of B12.
Furthermore, cyanocobalamin is not a form of B12 which is naturally found in nature.
Cyanocobalamin is a human creation that does the job of getting the B12 into the body but may not do the best job at allowing the body to utilize it.
This is why we suggest METHYLCOBALAMIN.
CAN YOU TAKE TOO MUCH?
1. You really shouldn’t be afraid to take a lot of B12. B12 is a water-soluble vitamin which means that the risk of overdose is virtually zero. Any extra B12 that you consume will be eliminated by your kidneys and in your urine.
2. Second, the RDA for things like B12 really doesn’t take into account the issues that I have mentioned here so don’t be afraid to take doses that are several times higher than the RDA.
3. Whenever you take a B12 supplement you will see your serum B12 level skyrocket.
This can freak out doctors who proclaim that you are “overdosing on B12!” when the reality is that your serum levels can be high but your cells may still be deficient.
Furthermore, with functioning kidneys, the risk of overdose is basically zero.
One of the most important things to understand about B12 deficiency is that the serum B12 is just not a very reliable marker for diagnosing B12 deficiency. When you measure B12 in the serum, you’re measuring all of the different cobalamins. Cobalamins are all the different B12 compounds. That ranges from the most inactive forms of cobalamin, like cyanocobalamin, to the more active forms of cobalamin, like methylcobalamin and adenosylcobalamin, which are referred to as active B12. That’s the type of B12 that can actually be delivered, get in the cells, and do what it’s supposed to do. Then there are intermediate forms of cobalamins, like hydroxocobalamin, which are not super active, but more active than something like cyanocobalamin.
When you measure serum B12, you’re measuring all of those different B12s. So it would be possible to have a normal or even high level of serum B12, and have most of that be inactive, and still be suffering from B12 deficiency, because you don’t really have enough of the active B12 that gets in the cells.
Bottom line is pay attention to how you feel and work with a practitioner who understand all of these points.
Whenever possible, avoid B12 supplements that contain cyanocobalamin and opt for supplements that contain methylcobalamin.
Methylcobalamin comes pre-activated and is much easier for the body to use and process. In addition, methylcobalamin is a form of B12 found in nature which makes it ideal compared to cyanocobalamin. For more info go to:
https://thatshealth.com/shop/general-health/awake/
