Vitamin B-12 Question

[wolffie]

Hi McDougallers.....I've been taking B-12 for years and was told that the methylcobalmin type was the right type to take. I found out today that the cyanocobalamin is what we should be taking. Does anybody know which one is right? TIA.

[GlennR]

http://www.methylcobalamininfo.com/methylcobalamin-vs-cyanocobalamin/

...cyanocobalamin isn’t something nature ever intended your body to deal with – it exists only as a chemical synthesized in laboratories. It doesn’t occur naturally in any living organism.

Methylcobalamin also has a few other explicit benefits over its cyanide-containing sibling. Research has shown that it remains in the body for a longer period of time and at higher The Best Supplement levels than cyanocobalamin, which means that your body is supplied with vitamin B12 for longer if you use methylcobalamin than if you use cyanocobalamin.

However, perhaps the greatest benefit of methylcobalamin comes when you consider the problem of B12 deficiency. In the majority of cases, this isn’t actually caused by not getting enough of the vitamin from your diet, but from being unable to absorb the vitamin properly. This can be caused by a variety of medical problems. Taking sublingual methylcobalamin (under the tongue) or with an injection allows the body to bypass the problematic absorption in the small intestine and use the vitamin immediately. This ensures that your body gets exactly what it needs, whereas if cyanocobalamin is used there can be further problems with converting the chemical into the active methyl- form. Heavy smokers in particular may struggle to process cyanocobalamin because of heavy metals and toxins that build up in the liver.

[colonyofcells]

According to recent webinar, Dr Mcdougall is using different types of b12 and is currently using cyanocobalamin.

[JuicerJohn]

So, I guess the only thing we can conclude is that there is no conclusively right answer.

[Daydream]

I take both. I take Methylcobalamin one day and Cyanocobalamin the next.

[wolffie]

Thanks for the responses, everybody. Daydream, I think you've got the right idea. I'm going to do the same. Thanks again!

[dynodan62]

Accurate dosing research & USP certification is only available for cyano. B12.

[calvin]

From T Colin on the subject of B12:

https://nutritionstudies.org/12-questio ... tamin-b12/

What form B12 should I take?

- Personally, I don’t really advise any particular form. You can take cyanocobalamin or methylcobalamin. Both have been shown to increase B12 levels. If any readers have seen primary research (ie. not a webpage like this one) that suggests a different interpretation, please let me know.
- If you are concerned with deficiency or maximizing absorption, chewable or dissolvable tablets are much better absorbed. As discussed in my smoothie article that generated lots of lively debate, very important digestion starts in the mouth. This is another example.