Vitamin B12 contains mineral cobalt and exists in several forms. Vitamin B12 is a general name given to a class of compounds more scientifically called the cobalamins. There are many cobalamins such as Hydroxocobalamin, Adenosylcobalamin, Cyanocobalamin and Methylcobalamin. Methylcobalamin is the best form of vitamin B12 than most of the forms widely available in supplements. 

 

Methylcobalamin – The Activated Form Of Vitamin B12

Methylcobalamin in the supplement is bio-identical to the B12 forms occurring in human physiology and animal foods hence is more bioavailable and efficiently utilized by the body.

This water-soluble B-vitamin works in many body processes including, increasing metabolic energy, supporting mood regulation, supporting the formation of the protective myelin sheath, increasing red blood cell production, boosts immune function. The critical vitamin works as a cofactor for methionine synthase, which catalyzes the conversion of homocysteine to methionine (a sulphur-containing amino acid metabolite that the body uses for various metabolic processes).

 

What Are Some Of The Dietary Sources Of Vitamin B12  

Vitamin B12 is naturally found in a wide variety of animal foods like fish, meat, eggs, dairy products, poultry, fish, fortified foods, almond milk, soy milk. Though some bacteria in our intestine produce B12, it isn’t enough to maintain adequate status.

Vegetarians and vegans need to be extra vigilant against vitamin B12 deficiency as you won’t find vitamin B12 in plant-based food, other than fortified foods and fortified cereals.

Fortified foods and supplements are the only reliable sources for vegetarians and vegans.

 

Zenith Nutrition Methylcobalamin

Zenith Nutrition Methylcobalamin is a high-quality vegetarian dietary supplement which includes the most biologically active form of vitamin B12 that is better absorbed, with a higher retention rate.   

The supplement is manufactured in a GMP-certified facility and has gone through 3^rd party lab-testing for assurance on purity and quality. The supplement does not contain soy, corn, dairy, yeast, gluten, sugar or preservatives.

 

Potential Signs Of Vitamin B12 Deficiency

   Vitamin B12 deficiency manifests in humans mainly as:

-> Fatigue

-> Digestive dysfunction

-> Loss of appetite

-> Soreness of the mouth or tongue

-> Tingling of the hands and feet

-> Confusion

-> Megaloblastic anemia

-> Weight loss

-> Poor memory

-> Difficulty with balance

-> Neurological damage that begins with an inability to produce myelin

 

Who Are At A Risk For Vitamin B12 Deficiency?

Most of us get enough vitamin B12 from our diet, yet people who may be at a risk for deficiency include:

-> Alcoholics

-> Drug interaction

-> Malabsorption (disturbed uptake of vitamin B12 from food due to gastric acid deficiency)

-> Elderly individuals, who often suffer from decreased hydrochloric acid in the stomach.

-> People following a strict vegan diet because foods from animal sources are the main sources of vitamin B12.

-> Those taking antacids for heartburn over a long term

-> Those suffering from inflammatory bowel disease

 

 

TOP 3 BENEFITS OF VITAMIN B12 (METHYLCOBALAMIN)

 

ESSENTIAL FOR ENERGY PRODUCTION

In the fast-life, most people aren’t eating a balanced diet that facilitates healthy digestion, this is what leaves you feeling lethargic and fatigued. The larger food particles in order to convert into a form which the body can use to generate energy or to carry on biological processes all needs the necessary cofactors. Because of its role in energy production, vitamin B12 deficiency is characterized by fatigue and weakness.

One of the notable function of vitamin B12 is its function as a cofactor for the complex process of energy production. It plays role in preventing fatigue by proper utilization of iron which is essential for the transportation of oxygen to vital organs. The water-soluble vitamin aids in red blood cell formation, which prevents a type of anemia that can often make people weak and tired.

 

MAY PROMOTE HEART HEALTH   

High homocysteine levels are undesirable and known to be an indicator of heart disease. Vitamin B12 plays a role in promoting heart health by reducing homocysteine (which is a protein that can build up in the blood and damage the arterial walls, also the elevated levels of it may be a risk factor to the heart and may lead to poor heart function).  The conversion of homocysteine into methionine reduces the potential for damage to the vital organ because the conversion process results in the formation of the super-antioxidant glutathione, which is the body’s master antioxidant and detoxifier.

 

PLAYS A VITAL ROLE IN REGULATING MOOD   

Micronutrient status is the most important parameter that influences the quality of life, particularly in the elderly. Methylcobalamin can cross the blood-brain barrier, supports healthy production of serotonin (a neurotransmitter), and melatonin (the sleep hormone) which plays a key role in supporting mood and emotional health. When you are deficient in B12, your nerve cells don’t function adequately. Vitamin B12 helps in healthy regulation of the nervous system leading to a reduction in stress. Vitamin B12 helps produce myelin (fatty sheath) that surrounds and protects your nerves. The daily supplementation of this vitamin may help reduce tingling sensation in the hands, legs or feet, pins or needle sensation in your extremities. Studies have shown that the improved intake of vitamin B12 in the elderly may significantly reduce the risk of age-related cognitive decline.

 

METHYLCOBALAMIN Vs CYANOCOBALAMIN:  WHAT YOUR BODY PREFERS?

Supplementing with a methylated version is determined to be more effective in the body. Methylcobalamin (nature bioidentical forms of B12) is preferred instead of the use of cyanocobalamin, owing to its superior bioavailability and safety. Methylcobalamin is in the form that is ready-to-be used by the body. It is the only form of vitamin B-12 that’s capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier without any sort of conversion.

Research has shown that methylcobalamin is more preferred as it contains methyl groups that activate hundreds of chemical reactions throughout the body.

Cyanocobalmin, a synthetic B12 compound used in supplements, is the inactive form of B12, that is made with a cyanide donor, it is the most stable form because the cyanide molecule has the greatest attraction to the cobalamin.

It occurs only in trace amounts in human tissues as a result of cyanide intake from smoking or other sources. In order for cyanocobalamin to be utilized in the body, the liver must first remove the cyanide molecule and attach a methyl group to form the active methylcobalamin form that is usable by the body.

The body must exert large amounts of energy to convert cobalamin into its active form, methylcobalamin. This conversion process depletes the body of energy, which is the exact opposite of what you want when your energy stores are already low.