Transcription
Did you know that taking the wrong form of vitamin B12 could be completely useless for your body or even harmful? If you're taking the most common form of B12 found in cheap supplements, you might not be getting any real benefits. But don't worry, I am here to discuss the best and the worst forms of B12 and what is the best way to take B12 for maximum absorption. You don't want to miss this video.
Hello, I'm Dr. Anul Gupta, a board-certified family physician from US with advanced training in functional medicine and integrative medicine. Vitamin B12 deficiency is very common. Most of the people have been given an over-the-counter B12 supplement, but research shows that particular supplement doesn't reach the cellular level and doesn't do anything to improve your health. So, if you have been taking a B12 supplementation but you have not seen any improvement in your health or in your symptoms, then most likely you are taking the wrong form of B12.
So let me tell you the best and the worst form of vitamin B12, which is actually backed by scientific studies, so that you know exactly which B12 supplementation you should be getting so that you can boost your energy, you can improve your brain health, and also your metabolism. Now, let's first talk about why vitamin B12 is essential for your body and what are the typical symptoms you might experience which will tell you that your B12 levels are low.
Very first role of vitamin B12 in your body is for your brain functioning. Vitamin B12 plays a key role in keeping your memory sharp, as well as keeping your brain in good shape. So, if you feel that you have brain fog issues, or you are not able to concentrate on things, or you have mood changes where you feel depressed or anxious or stressed out very easily, then these are all signs or symptoms of B12 deficiency.
The next role of vitamin B12 is in your energy production. Vitamin B12 plays a critical role in energy production in your body. Your mitochondria is the powerhouse of your cell, and it needs vitamin B12 to produce energy. So, if you're constantly feeling tired or fatigued, then vitamin B12 deficiency might be the reason.
The third role of vitamin B12 is in keeping your nervous system in good shape. So, if you're experiencing tingling, numbness, or neuropathy symptoms, then again, it can be because of B12 deficiency.
And the last function of B12 is in your red blood cell formation. So, if your blood work is showing that you have anemia or low hemoglobin levels, then it can be because of vitamin B12 deficiency. So, you see, these are all the functions and signs and symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency.
Now let's talk about what is the best form of B12 that you should be taking so that can actually improve all of these symptoms for you and is absorbed properly in your system. So, let's first talk about the most common form of vitamin B12 which is available in the market and which is the worst form of vitamin B12, and it is called cyanocobalamin. So, the first thing you need to do is that look at your B12 supplement and see if it is cyanocobalamin or not.
The reason being, cyanocobalamin is really poorly absorbed in your gut. What that means is that majority of the cyanocobalamin goes to waste and it is not absorbed in your bloodstream. A research study published in British Journal of Nutrition in 2017 showed that cyanocobalamin was the most poorly absorbed of all vitamin B12 supplements.
The second reason cyanocobalamin is not a good choice is because it has a cyanide molecule into it. Now, cyanide molecule is a toxicant for your body, and your liver has to work overnight to first detoxify this cyanide molecule and get rid from your system. So, this cyanocobalamin actually overburdens your detox system, especially your liver.
And the last reason to avoid cyanocobalamin is that research shows that it is less effective in improving symptoms as compared to the other forms of B12. This research study, which was published in Study in Clinical Therapeutics in 2012, showed that that cyanocobalamin was less effective in reducing B12 deficiency symptoms as compared to other forms of B12. So, that's the reason cyanocobalamin is the worst form of B12 supplementation, and you should avoid it at all costs.
Now let's talk about the best forms of B12 supplementation. So, the best form of B12 supplementation is methylcobalamin. Methylcobalamin is one of the most active form of B12 in the body. It doesn't need any extra conversion steps, and it is very highly bioavailable. That means it is easily absorbed from your gut directly into your bloodstream. It is really beneficial for improving your brain health, your nerve health, as helping your DNA in repair mechanisms.
Also, there are people who have methylation issues in their body. That means they have a genetic problem which is called MTHFR problem, where they cannot utilize the usual B12 in the body. Methylcobalamin is already methylated, so it doesn't need that conversion or doesn't need the MTHFR gene. And that's the reason methylcobalamin is the form of B12 that you should be consuming.
A study published in 2013 into the Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition showed that methylcobalamin was more effective in nerve regeneration as compared to other forms of B12. Also, a study published in 2019 showed that methylcobalamin was absorbed better than any other form of B12 supplementation. That's the reason methylcobalamin is the best form of B12 supplementation.
Now, what is the dosage of methylcobalamin that you should be taking, and what is the various forms available that you can take? So, the various forms of methylcobalamin are obviously oral capsules that you can take. Then there are sublingual tablets, plus there is liposomal B12 as well, as you can take injections. So, the best way to consume is that if you have sublingual methylcobalamin tablets available, that is the best way to do it. If that is not available, then the next form which is really well absorbed in your system is liposomal vitamin B12. The next form to consume is injections of methylcobalamin. If you do not have access to any of these things, then the last resort is obviously using oral capsules of methylcobalamin.
The typical dosage which is needed by people is between 1,000 micrograms to 1,500 micrograms on on the daily basis. So, here you go. Now you know the worst form of B12 supplementation is cyanocobalamin, and the best form of B12 supplementation is methylcobalamin. You need between 1,000 to 1,500 micrograms of methylcobalamin on the daily basis to get your B12 levels in the normal side.
So, now actually I want to hear from you. Have you been taking the wrong form of B12? Let me know in the comment section. I hope you found this video useful. Please like and subscribe to my channel so you can keep on getting this great information in the future. Also, also share this video with others that can benefit from this great information. Until next time, take care, bye-bye.