Description
B12 sublingual liquid 4 ounces 5mg (5000mcg) dosage per dropper ful
120 doses
Symptoms of B12 deficiency often go undiagnosed. This is largely because there are a variety of symptoms and very often they can be mistaken for something else.
For example, many of the early b12 vitamin deficiency symptoms are often brushed off as the normal signs of aging. At the other end of the spectrum, some people experience very dramatic symptoms even when they are only experiencing moderately low (or low/normal) levels. In these cases, most of the time a B12 deficiency is not considered as a potential cause of the problem because the symptoms are so significant that it does not seem possible that moderately low or borderline b12 levels could be the culprit. Sadly, it is not at all uncommon for B 12 deficiency symptoms to be mis- diagnosed or the signs of b12 deficiency to be ignored all together!
Here are some of the common symptoms of Vitamin B12 deficiency:
• Neurological B12 Vitamin Deficiency Symptoms • Mental confusion
• Delusions
• Paranoia
• Headaches
• Depression
• Impulse Control
• Pins and needles in the extremities
• Balance issues
• Gastrointestinal Symptoms of B12 Vitamin Deficiency
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Heartburn
• Bloating
• Loss of Appetite
• Weight Loss
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Other Symptoms of B12 Vitamin Deficiency
• Fatigue
• Paleness
• Shortness of breath that results from only very light exertion
• White spots on the skin (typically the forearm) due to decreased melatonin • Hair loss
• Bruising that occurs without reason
• Dizziness
These varied B12 deficiency symptoms’ are the result of the body not creating sufficient red blood cells due to the decreased levels of B12. Red blood cells are required to carry oxygen to all of your cells so having insufficient red blood cells essentially starves your body of oxygen.
Most people, and particularly those with autoimmune diseases, should be tested for a B-12 deficiency, and for anemia. Once diagnosed, in addition to your doctor’s recommendations regarding treatment for anemia and any suggested iron supplementation, you can also consider the following recommendations:
• Eat more foods that are good sources of iron. Concentrate on dark green, leafy vegetables, wheat germ, dried fruit and iron-fortified cereals.
• Help your body absorb iron better by eating foods high in vitamin C.
• Limit your use of tea, except herbal teas. The tannins in tea can inhibit iron absorption.
• Avoid antacids, phosphates (found in soda, beer, ice cream, candy bars, etc.) and the food additive EDTA. These block iron absorption.
• Increase dietary fiber to prevent constipation.
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NOTE ON B12 TESTING: One of the most important things to understand about B12 deficiency is that the serum B12 is 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.
What are those sensitive markers? Well, the most practical and most available at this time is methylmalonic acid, or MMA for short. You can test methylmalonic acid in the urine or the serum. Methylmalonic acid is an organic acid. It’s a by- product of normal cellular metabolism. It’s converted into succinic acid via a B12-dependent enzyme. That enzyme only can use active B12. So if methylmalonic acid (MMA) is elevated, it suggests there’s not enough active B12 to make that conversion. Therefore, it’s a sensitive indicator for active B12 deficiency. this is done through our OAT TEST (organic acid profile test).
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Methylcobalamin Research study: Oral methylcobalamin works well without the need for injections.
Oral supplements of vitamin B12 appear to correct vitamin B12 deficiencies as well as B12 injections. However, in order to correct a deficiency, oral doses need to contain more than 200 times the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of vitamin B12. Study author Dr. Lisette C. P. G. M. de Groot of Wageningen University in the Netherlands explained that most people develop vitamin B12 deficiencies as a result of “malabsorption,” in which their bodies become unable to extract vitamin B12 from food. The deficiency typically strikes older people, she added, and takes years to develop. In some instances, people who avoid animal products — such as vegans and followers of a macrobiotic diet — can also develop a deficiency in vitamin B12 as a result of not eating enough B12-rich foods.
A vitamin B12 deficiency is typically treated by monthly, often painful, shots. To investigate whether an oral dose of vitamin B12 works, as well, they tested various daily doses of oral vitamin B12 supplements in 120 people aged 70 and older. They found that daily oral doses of this form of vitamin B12 appeared to correct the deficiency. The current RDA for vitamin B12 is 3 micrograms per day. Archives of Internal Medicine, May 23, 2005.
Vitamin B12 works in blood and nerve cells.* Neurological function, such as brain, spinal and optic nerves, and proper blood cell functioning require vitamin B12.* For the heart, vitamin B12 helps maintain healthy homocysteine levels in the blood.* It also helps restore energy levels.*
Most B12 supplements are in the form of cyanocobalamin and the body must convert it to another form. Methylcobalamin is different. It is the active, functional form of B12 and the liquid delivery ensures better utilization. People who can benefit from methylcobalamin include seniors, vegetarians, those with occasional gastrointestinal discomfort, those with genetic susceptibility to low B12, and those who have recently undergone medical procedures.
