# Vitamin B12



## matisyahu (Dec 2, 2011)

I'm about to buy a bottle of vitamin b12 from iherb, and I was wondering if there was a difference between the "cyanocobalamin" b12 and the "methyl" b12 in terms of the effectiveness of treating anxiety?

If anyone was wondering I'm thinking of getting this one: http://www.iherb.com/product-reviews/Jarrow-Formulas-Methyl-B-12-1000-mcg-100-Lozenges/129/?p=1


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## matisyahu (Dec 2, 2011)

Borophyll said:


> Get b12 in methylcobalamin form its the form found in food and has much higher bioavailability than cyanocobalamin. Link isn't working for me but just make sure its the methyl version its more money but you get what you pay for. Have you ever ordered from iherb? If not I have a coupon code you can use.


Nope, this is my first time buying from iherb, I'd love a coupon, thanks!


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## sansd (Mar 22, 2006)

I'd get methyl-. I mainly used methylcobalamin when I was vegan. It's an active form and methylcobalamin supplementation works for things (like controlling homocysteine levels) where cyanocobalamin supplementation does not.


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## jonny neurotic (Jan 20, 2011)

matisyahu said:


> I'm about to buy a bottle of vitamin b12 from iherb, and I was wondering if there was a difference between the "cyanocobalamin" b12 and the "methyl" b12 in terms of the effectiveness of treating anxiety?
> 
> If anyone was wondering I'm thinking of getting this one: http://www.iherb.com/product-reviews/Jarrow-Formulas-Methyl-B-12-1000-mcg-100-Lozenges/129/?p=1


Honestly, I don't think you are going to get much from B12. You connot medicate with vitamins. Supplements are supposed to make up for dietary insufficiency or higher demands by the body. Certain conditions effect the absorption or metabolism of B12. If you are for any reason deficient then supplementation may be of benefit to you. It may be more appropriate, however, to address the primary cause of the deficiency if the cause is not dietary insufficiency. With respect to the form of the vitamin; it matters not: cyanocobalamin is just as effective as hydroxycobalamin and while methylcobalamin is the active form it will be converted to hydroxycobalamin by the enzyme processes in which it takes part and has to be converted back to methylcobalamin by a process that involves the active form of folic acid: 5-methyltetrahydrofolate. If you have insufficient levels of 5-MTF, whether through folic acid deficiency or problems with folic acid metabolism you may suffer secondary B12 deficiency, in which case folate supplementation would be the appropriate strategy.

I doubt very much that B12 supplementation, which ever form you use, is going to have any impact on anxiety...


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## HippieChick (Aug 6, 2011)

jonny neurotic said:


> Honestly, I don't think you are going to get much from B12. You connot medicate with vitamins. Supplements are supposed to make up for dietary insufficiency or higher demands by the body. Certain conditions effect the absorption or metabolism of B12. If you are for any reason deficient then supplementation may be of benefit to you. It may be more appropriate, however, to address the primary cause of the deficiency if the cause is not dietary insufficiency. With respect to the form of the vitamin; it matters not: cyanocobalamin is just as effective as hydroxycobalamin and while methylcobalamin is the active form it will be converted to hydroxycobalamin by the enzyme processes in which it takes part and has to be converted back to methylcobalamin by a process that involves the active form of folic acid: 5-methyltetrahydrofolate. If you have insufficient levels of 5-MTF, whether through folic acid deficiency or problems with folic acid metabolism you may suffer secondary B12 deficiency, in which case folate supplementation would be the appropriate strategy.
> 
> I doubt very much that B12 supplementation, which ever form you use, is going to have any impact on anxiety...


Methylcobalamin is the biologically active form of B12 and is considered the superior form by the foremost researchers such as Dr. Ben Lynch . My body does not convert cyanocobalamin into methylcobalamin due to a genetic defect on the MTHFR gene so I must use sublingual methylcobalamin. It helps tremendously with depression, anxiety and fatigue.

I eat plenty of meat and organic eggs. It would be great if my body could convert all the vitamins in my diet to the biologically active forms that it needs. But it doesn't so I must supplement. I suggest that everyone do some reading on mthfr.net. It is estimated that about 10% of the population has 2 copies of the defective gene and therefore MUST supplement with methylcobalamin, 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, and pyridoxal-5-phoshate in order to receive the proper amount of viatmins.


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## jonny neurotic (Jan 20, 2011)

HippieChick said:


> Methylcobalamin is the biologically active form of B12 and is considered the superior form by the foremost researchers such as Dr. Ben Lynch . My body does not convert cyanocobalamin into methylcobalamin due to a genetic defect on the MTHFR gene so I must use sublingual methylcobalamin. It helps tremendously with depression, anxiety and fatigue.
> 
> I eat plenty of meat and organic eggs. It would be great if my body could convert all the vitamins in my diet to the biologically active forms that it needs. But it doesn't so I must supplement. I suggest that everyone do some reading on mthfr.net. It is estimated that about 10% of the population has 2 copies of the defective gene and therefore MUST supplement with methylcobalamin, 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, and pyridoxal-5-phoshate in order to receive the proper amount of viatmins.


I think I have a mutation on this gene also. I haven't had it checked out but I have always felt easily fatigued, and some times chronically, and although taking a multi helped a lot I noticed a marked improvement when I started taking 5-MTF. The only problem was the price: I got some bottles on a special offer to begin with but the offer was finished and I wasn't prepared to what was being asked unless I absolutely had to. I am now happily using a high dose of regular folic acid, without the multi, and I feel better than I ever did on a multi alone, and that was a high potency one. I guess if you have a really bad version of the gene then the methylcobalamin, as well as 5-MTF, would be appropriate. I think mine is just a mild version or it may be something to do with how my body absorbs folic acid in the first place...


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