Clinical Blogs — vitamin b12

Vitamin B12 is a water soluble vitamin that has multiple functions in our body, including keeping the body’s nerve and blood cells healthy, helping to make DNA and preventing a type of anemia called megaloblastic anemia. While B12 is naturally found in a wide variety of animal foods and certain fortified foods, some diets restrict the intake of B12 and some people are unable to absorb the amount of B12 necessary for daily intake. Due to this, many people have resorted to medical options to ensure they are getting enough B12, such as dietary supplements and more recently, B12 injection....

Both methylcobalamin B12 and cyanocobalamin B12 are vitamin b12 form on the market. What are their differences and which one should one choose? Cyanocobalamin is the most commonly supplemented form of vitamin B12 because it is the most air-stable, easiest to crystallize, and simpler to purify. However, it is an inactive form of vitamin B12 which requires conversion by the body to the usable active form - methylcobalamin. Since cyanocobalamin cannot be found naturally in the human body, cyanocobalamin is considered as the more “synthetic” form of B12. Because every person’s body has a different rate and competency of conversion,...