All about Vitamin B12

Lack of awareness about B12 deficiency

There is much to say about B12 deficiency. One major problem, however, is that B12 deficiency is difficult to detect.This is because standard blood tests at the GP's surgery only detect a severe B12 deficiency. There may be enough B12 in the blood, but not enough available in the body's cells. This can result from the body's limited ability to convert non-bioactive forms of B12 into a usable bioactive form. Standard blood tests only measure the non-bioactive form in the blood, not the bioactive form that needs to be present in the tissues. So you can have enough B12 in your blood, but that does not always guarantee that you are not deficient.

It is often assumed that B12 deficiency only affects people who follow a vegan or vegetarian diet. That is not correct. In the stomach, B12 is separated from the protein to which it is bound. This is done by specific cells in the stomach and by microorganisms in the gut. When people have problems with their digestion, there is a strong chance that the B12 in their food will not be properly absorbed by the body. This applies whether or not they follow a vegan diet.

Estimates of B12 deficiency vary. The figures suggest that severe deficiency is uncommon (up to 5%). But around 14 to 39% of people have B12 levels that are too low.

Getting enough B12 is essential

Symptoms are often not attributed to B12 deficiency, even when it is the cause.

Examples of symptoms associated with B12 deficiency include psychological symptoms, fatigue, cognitive and neurological difficulties and anaemia. Since B12 deficiency can have so many drawbacks, it follows that getting enough B12 can have considerable benefits for our health. Below is a selection of the main health benefits of vitamin B12.

• Energy supply : forget coffee, energy drinks and caffeinated tea. These are all temporary solutions. Maintaining a steady, healthy B12 level can help the energy metabolism of all the cells in your body function normally.
• Normal cell division : vitamin B12 plays an important role in cell division in our bodies. This means it has a role in the growth and development of our tissues and in cell renewal.
• Brain and nerve function : our psychological functions depend heavily on vitamin B12. B12 contributes to normal concentration, memory and mood. There is even evidence that B12 deficiency plays a major role in the development of dementia.
• Immune system support : like many vitamins, B12 plays an essential role in the normal functioning of our immune system. Vitamin B12 is therefore important for maintaining normal resistance.
• Homocysteine metabolism : vitamin B12 acts as a coenzyme in the breakdown of homocysteine in our bodies. This breakdown prevents homocysteine levels from becoming too high, which can lead to cardiovascular disease and problems during pregnancy.
  
  Clearly, getting enough B12 is essential for our bodies to function properly.

What forms of vitamin B12 are there?

Vitamin B12 is the only vitamin that contains a trace element, namely cobalt. All humans and vertebrate animals need cobalt, and our bodies can only assimilate it in the form of vitamin B12. This is reflected in the name of all forms of B12: cobalamin.

When you start looking for a good vitamin B12 supplement, you soon face the question of which form of B12 (cobalamin) to choose. There are four forms of vitamin B12 available: methylcobalamin, adenosylcobalamin, hydroxocobalamin and cyanocobalamin. Here is some more information about these four different forms of B12.

Of the four types of B12, both methylcobalamin and adenosylcobalamin can be used directly by the body. These forms of B12 occur naturally in our bodies. After taking either form, the body can immediately make use of B12. Unfortunately, adenosylcobalamin is a little too unstable in most supplements for an optimal effect.

Hydroxocobalamin is a natural form of B12 normally produced by bacteria in our digestive tract from the food we eat. This form of B12 can also be produced in a laboratory by isolating cultures of microorganisms. After it is taken, however, this hydroxocobalamin must first be converted in the body into the active forms methylcobalamin and adenosylcobalamin.

Cyanocobalamin is also readily converted by the body into its active form. Unfortunately, cyanocobalamin is a synthetic form of B12. This makes it the cheapest form of B12, so it is widely used as an additive in foods. Cyanocobalamin needs a cyanide molecule for stability. This molecule disrupts the energy pathways in our cells. For this reason, it is better to avoid this form.

So always choose a B12 supplement with as much methylcobalamin as possible. Even then, you need to consider how well the supplement is absorbed. As described earlier, you want B12 absorption to depend as little as possible on your digestive tract. Tablets that you swallow are therefore not the preferred option. Ideally, choose a liquid sublingual form. You can hold the liquid under or on your tongue so that it is absorbed directly into the blood and can work straight away. This significantly improves absorption, meaning that even injections are often no longer necessary.

These are the products we stand behind