methylcobalamin (b12) vs Cyanocobalamin (b12)

[RAINRA]

B12 are all very different. Again I talked to a nutritionist who says Cyanocobalamin is not a true great source of B12. You need methylcobalamin?

 

Anyone know more about this and what is the the truth...

 

please don't send me to that vegan site where it describes how the only true source is supplementation not other forms.. I already read this. I want to know specifically on the two and what they know?

[DV]

You've been given the best source of information already. No one on this forum is an expert on this topic so we refer to the best, scientifically sound, safest information out there. If that is not good enough for you, I do not know what you are asking for.

[Im Your Man]

why you wanna know all this ? eat vegan foods and nature/body will do it's job. Several vegans, raw foodists and fruitarians don't supplement in b12 and don't eat any fortified foods, and don't have b12 deficiency. If we say this to nutritionnists, they will say "sure, but it may take 20 years, 30 years or even 50 years before a deficiency can occur". And when these vegans will die of aging at the age of 100 years old, the same nutritionists will say: "ah you see, we told you that a lack of b12 was real".

 

But it's good that you want to understant, everybody want to know the truth and how it really works, it would be great to know it so it could clarify many things and close this debate.

[RAINRA]

knowledge is power! I am interested in nutrition and I would like to know what the latest information on this is. According to this nutritionist at the raw meet up I went to claimed this. I always like to verify what people claim with plenty of evidence. I don't just take information down and just accept it as is... I am a curious man and I like answers.... it is all good. Just seeing if anyone actually knew more about this. All your imput is greatly appreciated positive or negative. I enjoy good dialogue on all sides.

 

B12 is necessary for some and maybe not for others to supplement on. I just don't really know the answer

[DV]

If you wish to hear that you don't need to supplement with B12 then you can continue to get feedback from those who don't believe it. I have a young, "healthy" raw friend who has gone through this and as a consequence (of not testing her B12 level or supplementing) has an elevated homocysteine level (one indication of B12 insufficiency). And she's in her 20s. You will find many who defend B12 analogues because they do not understand the physiology behind them and they know someone who takes no supplements "and is doing just fine."

 

http://www.drgreger.org/talks/#nutrition

 

http://www.beyondveg.com/walsh-s/vitamin-b12/vegans-1.shtml

 

http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/vitaminb12

 

The above links will take you to the opinions of a vegan MD, PhD and nutritionist.

 

Everyone makes their own decisions concerning nutritional needs. If you use logic in other areas of your daily life, there is no reason to abandon it when it comes to this topic.

[beforewisdom]

methylcobalamin is better as well as more expensive, but unnecessary for most people:

 

Jack Norris, a vegan RD wrote the quintessential reference piece on b-12. Its free and its online. You can look this opinion there and get well armed with other solid information:

 

http://www.veganhealth.org/b12/

[Gaia]

Went searching on my favorite website lately, PUBMED:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17109579?ordinalpos=8&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

 

It basically says that either sublingual delivery or oral delivery of the methyl B12, and other B vitamins BOTH made the homocysteine levels go down in the 6 week protocol.

 

Personally, my kids love the methyl B12 orange lozenges (sublingual since you have to suck on them). They remember to take them quite easily . The other ones are OK, but they are not as good tasting and I have to remind them to take it . When it comes to the health of my kids, and my health as a gracefully aging adult, I research and look into everything and we will take it as a preventive precaution. It is a B vitamin that is water soluble, so toxic residue should not stay behind in the adipose tissue, and B12 (which your body methylates for delivery to the cells) is used as a vitamin that works with enzymes to keep the shealths around the nerves healthy which keeps the nerves insulated (major important for growing bodies).

 

I do methyl B12 because I understand the biochemistry of methylating biochemicals for easier delivery to the body, though the article above states that they use the methyl B12 in both groups (orally vs sublingual). Perhaps they use that one because as scientists they know the biochemistry of it too and used it as a standard.

[DV]

Sorry that I did not answer your original question. I read the title too quickly and mistakenly thought you were referring to B12 analogs vs cyanocobalamin. We have history on this forum of those who eschew vit B12 supplementation and I thought this was another such thread. My apologies.

 

If you can convert cyanocobalamin to the active form in your body, then there is no need to take methylcobalamin. The only way to know if you are having trouble with converting is to continually monitor your B12 levels with your medical practitioner and look for symptoms of deficiency. Interestingly, the treatment is sometimes a larger dose of cyanocobalamin since most problems are in absorption, not conversion. I've actually seen no reports of conversion problems and I would assume that's a fairly serious genetic malfunction that might cause a B12 deficiency to be diagnosed before adulthood.