10/06/2022
HOOokayyy-- someone recently asked me about B12/cobalamin and what's the difference between the types of B12 out there, so this was my shortish answer-- thought I'd share it here, too.
Did you know there are different types of B12?
*There are *4*main types of supplemental B12*
*Cyanocobalamin* is the synthetic form of B12. It is not easily activated by the body so not well absorbed. I say that it's a very biochemically 'expensive' form to take (despite how cheap it is to buy). Because it’s not in a natural state it demands more than it provides, and with some people, this is really not helpful. Plus, while we're here some people are using their blood levels of cobalamin to determine whether they're getting enough of their cyanocobalamin but it's definitely not an accurate marker. That's anOther conversation though. Just avoid Cyanocobalamin. Please.
On the other end of that spectrum is the fully activated, 'methylated' form of B12, *Methylcobalamin*. It's become a sort of celebrity in last few years. This is the most biologically active form of B12 - with pros and cons because of it. Some level of caution should be had when taking it, especially in high doses. You also have to have a healthy well-functioning digestive system, and have readily available activated folate in the equation for it to work well and for the body to use it. It's not always well tolerated in high dose supplemental forms because it’s easy to 'over-methylate'... which doesn't feel good- it can create real negative or disruptive mood changes (resolving when removed) but also has deeper effects, which may not be helpful. Even though we all need methylated B12 in our deep biochemistry, our genetics, health state, diet, will determine how much we can tolerate this most activated form as a supplement.
Then there is *Adenocobalamin*-- great for when we need energy, great for people fatigued- especially after exercise, important for the nerve myelin sheath. It is the form of B12 that the mitochondria use (your cells' energy generators) and is well tolerated and safe....but on its own longer term, not enough to accommodate all the body requirements for cobalamin.
And finally, *Hydroxycobalamin*, another highly activated form, normally produced by your gut bacteria, which can convert to Adeno and Methyl forms pretty readily. It's especially useful for supporting people with inflammatory conditions, chronic fatigue, autoimmune diseases and optimises nitric oxide levels. And great for replenishing long term depletion.
So which one do we take? Well, we need all of the forms for different biochemical processes and actions so, ultimately, we need each one in varying amounts depending on our own strengths and weaknesses. Taking a combination of cobalamin forms accommodates the different needs and capacities a person may have. Plus it's never a good idea to take a single B vitamin on its own, even B12. Always best to take it alongside a good activated B Complex, or you may find yourself creating other imbalances, which really does counteract what you're trying to achieve.
Let me know if you learned something and that this was helpful.
Keep well and happy!
xAlexsandra