All about Vitamin B12

Ignorance about B12 deficiency

There is much to say about a B12 deficiency. A major problem, however, is that a B12 deficiency is difficult to detect.The reason for this is that 'normal' blood tests at the GP only detect a serious B12 deficiency. This is because there may be sufficient B12 in the blood, but not enough in the body's cells. This is the result of the body's poor ability to convert non-bioactive B12 forms into the usable bioactive form. Normal blood tests only examine the non-bioactive form in the blood, but not the bioactive form that must be present in the tissues. So you may have sufficient B12 in your blood, but this does not always guarantee that you do not have a deficiency [SOURCE].

It is often assumed that you only have a B12 deficiency if you are vegan or vegetarian. This is not correct. B12 is separated from the protein it is attached to in your stomach. This is done by specific cells in our stomach acid and by micro-organisms in our intestines [SOURCE]. When people have problems with their digestion, there is a big chance that the B12 in your diet is not properly absorbed by the body. Whether or not you eat vegan.

Figures on B12 deficiency among people vary. The figures show that a serious deficiency occurs only rarely (maximum 5%). But a too low value has about 14 to 39% of people [SOURCE, SOURCE & SOURCE].

Sufficient B12 is essential

Complaints are often not attributed to a B12 deficiency, even though this is in fact the case.

Examples of complaints caused by a B12 deficiency are: psychological complaints [SOURCE], fatigue [SOURCE], cognitive and neurological impairments [SOURCE] and anemia [SOURCE]. Since a B12 deficiency can have so many disadvantages, this of course also means that sufficient intake of B12 has incredibly many benefits for our health. Below is a selection of the most important health benefits of vitamin B12.

• Energy supplier - Forget coffee, energy drinks and caffeinated tea. These are all temporary fixes. While a constant and healthy B12 level can ensure that the energy metabolism of all cells in your body functions normally [SOURCE].
• Normal cell division - vitamin B12 plays an important role in the process of cell division in our body. As a result, it influences the growth and development of our tissue and cell renewal [SOURCE]
• Brain and nerve functions - psychological functions of our body are highly dependent on vitamin B12. For example, B12 contributes to normal concentration, memory and our state of mind [SOURCE]. There is even evidence that a B12 deficiency plays a major role in the development of dementia [SOURCE].
• Support immune system - like many vitamins, B12 also plays an essential role in the normal functioning of our immune system. Vitamin B12 is therefore important to build up normal resistance [SOURCE].
• Homocysteine metabolism - vitamin B12 functions as a coenzyme in the breakdown of homocysteine in our body. This breakdown prevents the homocysteine level from becoming too high, which can lead to cardiovascular diseases and problems during pregnancy [SOURCE, SOURCE & SOURCE]
  
  It is clear that a sufficient amount of B12 is essential for the proper functioning of our body.

What forms of Vitamin B12 are there?

Vitamin B12 is the only vitamin that contains a trace element, namely Cobalt. All humans and vertebrates need Cobalt and it can only be assimilated in our body in the form of vitamin B12. This can be seen from the name of all B12 forms: cobalamin.

When you start looking for a good vitamin B12 supplement, you will soon come across the dilemma of the different B12 (cobalamin) forms. There are four forms of vitamin B12 available: methylcobalamin, adenosylcobalamin, hydroxycobalamin and cyanocobalamin. Below is some more information about these four different forms of B12.

Of the four types of B12, both methylcobalamin as adenosylcobalamin directly absorbable in the body. These are B12 forms that occur naturally in our body [SOURCE]. After taking these two forms, the body can immediately use the functions of B12. Unfortunately, adenosylcobalamin in most supplements a little too unstable for optimal effect.

Hydroxycobalamin is a natural B12 that is normally produced by bacteria in our digestive tract from the food we eat. This form of B12 can also be developed in the laboratory by isolating cultures of microorganisms. However, after ingestion, this Hydroxy-B12 must first be converted in the body into the active forms Methylcobalamin and Adenosylcobalamin [SOURCE].

Cyanocobalamin is also easily converted by the body into its active form. Unfortunately, cyanocobalamin is a synthetic form of B12. This makes it the cheapest form of B12, which is why it is often used as an additive in foods. Cyanocobalamin requires a cyanide molecule for stability. This molecule has a disruptive function on the energy channels in our cells. This is why it is better not to use this form.

So always choose a B12 supplement with the highest possible amount of methylcobalamin. But even then you have to take into account the absorption of the supplement. As described earlier, you want to be as little dependent as possible on your digestive tract for the absorption of B12. Tablets that you have to swallow are therefore not preferred. Preferably choose a liquid sublingual form. You can then keep the liquid under/on your tongue, so that it is immediately absorbed into the blood and is immediately effective. This significantly improves the absorption, so that even injections are often no longer necessary [SOURCE & SOURCE].

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