5 Vitamin B12 Tips That Can Help Improve Your Health
Vitamin B12 plays an important role in the body. It has been found to help with various systems within the body including but not limited to energy, sleep, memory, increased homocysteine (an indicator of inflammation), anemia (low red blood cell count), dementia, stroke, and improved mood.
The Different Forms of Vitamin B12
There are three different types of Vitamin B12:
Tip 1: It may be beneficial for you to avoid cyanocobalamin forms of Vitamin B12.
Cyanocobalamin is broken down into cobalamin and cyanide. Yes, you read that correctly. That is the same deadly cyanide stuff that we have heard about. Researchers have suggested that there could be a buildup of cyanide in the tissues, especially in smokers from people using the cyanocobalamin form of B12.
Main sources of Vitamin B12:
Tip 2: B12 is heavily concentrated in animal protein. If you are a vegan or vegetarian, it is especially important that you monitor your B12 and B12 metabolite levels (e.g. methylmalonic acid) particularly if you are experiencing a decrease in energy, hair loss and/or difficulty sleeping.
How B12 Gets Absorbed
Now that you know where to get your B12, let’s talk about how it actually gets absorbed into the body. The body releases B12 from its package (the food you eat) through chewing and digestion through stomach acid and enzyme activities. Then a special protein in the saliva and stomach picks up the B12 and takes it to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract (your intestines). Once in the GI tract, the “freed” B12 will go to the cells either with another protein (intrinsic factor) or “float” across the cell barrier in a process called diffusion.
Because supplement B12 is not bound in a “food package,” the body should ideally use it faster and easier.
Tip 3: Some supplement forms of B12 like lozenges and liquids may actually give the body a jump start on absorbing the B12 through the lining of the mouth.
It is important to mention that there are additional conditions or factors that could interfere with absorption including: Crohn’s Disease, colitis, H. Pylori, gastritis, and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). If you have any of these conditions, talk to your health care practitioner about checking your B12 levels.
Tip 4: If you take proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), you may want to talk to your health care practitioner about checking your B12 levels.
Acid blocking medications such as PPIs will decrease your stomach acid making it harder for your body to absorb B12 from the GI tract. Additionally, as we age, the amount of stomach acid we produce naturally goes down, increasing our chances of having B12 deficiency.
How Genes Play a Role in Vitamin B12 absorption
Different genes can play a role in how well your body can break apart, absorb and even transport B12 in the body. Ultimately, it is your unique genes that may help explain why your B12 levels are high or low despite taking supplements or consuming enough B12 in your diet.
FUT2 (fucosyltransferease 2)
FUT2 is one of the most commonly discussed genes amongst consumers. FUT2 is a gene that creates a protein that may increase the chances of H. pylori bacteria attaching to the mucosal lining in the stomach. The attachment of H. pylori bacteria prevents the body from absorbing B12. Additionally, individuals with this gene also have lower levels of bifidobacteria (a naturally occurring beneficial probiotic that makes B12).
TCN2 (Transcobalamin II)
TCN2 is a gene that helps cells use a particular form of vitamin B12. A variation in this gene can make it harder for the body to produce certain types of blood cells. Therefore, someone with this variation may have low vitamin B12 and low levels of red and white blood cells, in addition to higher levels of homocysteine.
CUBN (Cubilin )
CUBN is a gene that encodes for a protein that makes a home for B12 groups. Cubilin helps your body take in vitamin B12 from food or from B12 made by bacteria in the intestines. People with variations in the CUBN gene may have certain types of anemia and have lower vitamin B12 levels.
Tip 5: The word “methyl” in front of methylcobalamin does not mean this form of B12 provides the body with more methyl groups for methylation. In actuality, it helps the body bring the B12 to the outside of the cell where the body cuts off the methyl group and brings it inside the cell to participate in its various jobs. More on this topic in an upcoming blog post!
Be sure to check out your Toolbox Genomics Health Action Plan to see what B12 genes you might have and what you can do to support your GeneStyle!
Learn More About Vitamin B12:
Metabolic vitamin B12 deficiency: a missed opportunity to prevent dementia and stroke.