Vitamin B12

Vitamin deficiencies are an epidemic in this country. This is due to the fact that a lot  of us eat a substandard daily diet. Did you know that being deficient in certain vitamins, even slightly, can lead to great health problems. So many diseases and illnesses are misdiagnosed when a simple vitamin boost on a regular basis is all that is needed. Specifically a vitamin B12 deficiency can be masked as chronic fatigue, shingles, chronic depression.Some symptoms of being low are numbness, dizziness, headaches, muscle cramps, and slowness of reflexes.

Vitamin B12 is definitely one you do not want to lack.The usual reason for a deficiency is absorption. Anyone suffering from any kind of digestive disorder like crohns, IBS, colitis, or leaky gut is probably not taking in adequate amounts of B12. The same goes for anyone that is living with autoimmune disorders like Lupus, HIV/AIDS, or Graves Disease.

Vegetarians and especially vegans are most definitely deficient if they are not supplementing with high quality B12. There is some B12 and other B vitamins in nutritional yeast, an inactive yeast that vegans use a lot of the time for cheese flavor substitutes. It would take a dramatic amount of nutritional yeast to get what you need. Vitamin B12 is abundant in animal products like grass fed organic beef, pastured cage free chickens as well as eggs, and pastured cage free turkeys. Even omnivores can be deficient in B12 if they are not consuming high quality meats and eggs on a regular basis. Nutritional quality is severely low in grain fed cows and poultry not allowed to roam free. So don't think you are in the clear just because you consume animal foods. Therefore, it's a really good idea to supplement this vitamin no matter what your dietary preferences.

There are actually two types of B12 on the market: methylcobalamin and cyanocobalamin.  The more common form you will see is the cyanocobalamin. Unfortunately, this is not the form that we need. Cyanocobalamin is actually a molecule formed in a a lab from cyanide, the poison. This is the synthetic form of the vitamin. We actually need the methylcobalamin form. The daily recommended amount is between 2.4mcg-2.8mcgs.

It is important to understand how B12 is able to be absorbed as well. For the exception of our food B12 does not get into the body through the digestive tract. When you take a multivitamin or B vitamin complex be aware that that B12 is NOT getting absorbed. B12 is best absorbed through the bloodstream. There are only three ways for B12 supplements to get into the body properly: sublingualy, shots, or my favorite, through patches. To take anything sublingualy that means you place the tablet or liquid under your tongue. Generally with tablet you let it dissolve, and with liquids you hold it there for thirty-sixty seconds giving time for absorption.

Above is my new favorite way to take in B12, patches. I really like these because they are noninvasive unlike a shot, although shots are said to be very effective, and unlike the sublingual versions these do not have unnecessary sweeteners or preservatives. The way you use them is you take off a patch from the sheet, much like a sticker, and adhere it to the back of your ear. the skin behind the ear is very thin, so its a perfect place for the B12 to be absorbed well into the blood stream. There is a total of 1000mcgs of ACTIVE B12 otherwise known as methylcobalamin that releases into the body a little bit at a time. You only need 1-2  patches a week depending on your condition and body. There are two missing above because I have been testing them out. I'll be getting a blood test after the 8 weeks of using them and I will let you know :) you can buy them online through the links to the stores on the right side of the blog.