We have been doing a fair amount of genetic analyses (mostly Nutrahacker) with an emphasis on what you can do to compensate for enzymes that aren’t working quite right. This can be due to less than ideal DNA sequences. One supplement that is frequently recommended as an enzyme pathway support is vitamin B12. If you aren’t familiar with vitamin B12, these are some B12 basics:
Vitamin B12 is a very large molecule for a vitamin and also contains metal, cobalt, giving it the name cobalamin. (Vitamin B12 and cobalamin are the same thing.) This vitamin is manufactured by microorganisms, primarily bacteria. These important bacteria live in the soil, water and digestive tracts of animals providing B12 to that animal. In animals, B12 is protein bound.
B12 comes in 4 basic forms. The most common is methyl B12 or methyl-cobalamin. This form may or may not be a good choice depending on several enzymes in your neurotransmitter pathways and your methylation pathways. Neuro pathways tend to prefer non-methyl cobalamin forms and methylation problems seem to do best with this methyl cobalamin.
The next form is cyano-B12 or cyanocobalamin. This form is OK for many conditions if you are a decent detoxifier and a good methylator. In this form B12 is bound to cyanide which your body can handle OK if you have enough glutathione in your system meaning you have a good detox system. However, If you are battling chronic problems like dementia, Parkinson’s or other degenerative neurological disorder, you can assume that you also have a detox problem and you should avoid cyanocobalamin. Also after the body removes the cyanide from the B12, it will most often have to add a methyl group to become useful so if you are already a poor methylator, you now have another problem to deal with on top of detoxifying the cyanide.
The third form is hydroxocobalamin, also known as hydroxyB12. Hydroxy B12 has been found to very beneficial for many kinds of neurotransmitter pathways. If you are having issues with insomnia, anxiety and/or depression, you may find help from hydroxyB12. We recommend hydroxocobalamin quite often and have seen some wonderful results in stabilizing some neurotransmitter issues.
The final form is adenosyl B12. Adenosylcobolamin is not very stable so is not a common supplement form. However, it is commonly found in certain pathways in the body.
In our next blog, we’ll discuss what happens when your body absorbs Vitamin B12 and how it uses it. For more on vitamin B12 and to find supplements, visit us at OVitaminPro.com! Unlike some vitamin and supplement stores, we have a knowledgeable staff who can help you find a product that is right for you. Visit us online today at OVitaminPro.com or call us to get started!
