Vitamin B12 Solution 1000mcg/ml

Insufficient levels of B12, known as cobalamin deficiency, can cause the body to produce less healthy red blood cells. This can cause symptoms such as extreme tiredness, muscle weakness, and reduced cardiovascular endurance capacity. (1,2).

REFERENCES

1. NHS. (n.d.). Vitamin B12 or folate deficiency anaemia. NHS. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamin-b12-or-folate-deficiency-anaemia/

2. Keating, S. E., Johnson, N. A., & Mielke, G. I. (n.d.). The role of B vitamins in energy metabolism and cardiovascular endurance. Old Dominion University Digital Commons. https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000&context=hms_fac_pubs

Aside from lethargy and worsened exercise performance, low levels of B vitamins can also cause cognitive decline, such as onset of dementia, reduced attention span, and brain fog (1). B12 supplementation has been proven to alleviate symptoms such as tiredness, poor memory and reduced focus (2) in deficient populations.

REFERENCES

1.     Wang, Z., Zhu, W., Xing, Y., Jia, J., & Tang, Y. (2022). B vitamins and prevention of cognitive decline and incident dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrition reviews, 80(4), 931–949. https://doi.org/10.1093/nutrit/nuab057

2.     Jatoi, S., Hafeez, A., Riaz, S. U., Ali, A., Ghauri, M. I., & Zehra, M. (2020). Low Vitamin B12 Levels: An Underestimated Cause Of Minimal Cognitive Impairment And Dementia. Cureus, 12(2), e6976. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.6976

There are 3 main causes of B12 deficiency:

-       Vegan and plant-based diets. Vitamin B12 is primarily sourced from animal products, so plant-based diets can increase risk of B12 deficiency (1).

-       Pernicious anaemia. Pernicious anaemia is caused by an autoimmune disease destroying the stomach’s gastric mucosa. (2) This eliminates the parietal cells that produce intrinsic factor. Intrinsic factor is a protein responsible for the absorption of B12- so without it, the individual does not uptake enough of the vitamin. 

-       Medicines. Certain drugs, such as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and anticonvulsants can drastically reduce the absorption of vitamin B12 in the stomach (3).

REFERENCES

1.     Dressler, J., Storz, M. A., Müller, C., Kandil, F. I., Kessler, C. S., Michalsen, A., & Jeitler, M. (2022). Does a Plant-Based Diet Stand Out for Its Favorable Composition for Heart Health? Dietary Intake Data from a Randomized Controlled Trial. Nutrients, 14(21), 4597. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14214597

2.     Pruthi, R. K., & Tefferi, A. (1994). Pernicious anemia revisited. Mayo Clinic proceedings, 69(2), 144–150. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0025-6196(12)61041-6

3.     NHS. (n.d.). Vitamin B12 or folate deficiency anaemia. NHS. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamin-b12-or-folate-deficiency-anaemia/

Even for individuals with healthy quantities of intrinsic factor, only between 1.3% and 2% of oral B12 supplementation can be absorbed into the stomach lining, when taking 500-1000mcg/day (1). In individuals suffering from pernicious anaemia, no vitamin B12 can be absorbed from oral supplementation, so injection is necessary (2). By bypassing the digestive system, B12 injections are almost 100% bioavailable, and vitamin B12 excreted in the urine is due to quantities of the supplemented vitamin exceeding the body’s requirement (2).

REFERENCES

1. National Institutes of Health. (2021). Vitamin B12: Fact sheet for health professionals. Office of Dietary Supplements. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB12-HealthProfessional/

2. Vasavada A, Patel P, Sanghavi DK. Cyanocobalamin. [Updated 2024 Jan 31]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK555964/