By Adam
B-12 is heralded as a “miracle vitamin” in the sense that it is responsible for the body producing cellular energy via ATP production.
Because of how it affects cellular energy, food manufacturers and supplement makers put it on everything to help bolster claims of increased energy levels.
However, while B-12 is essential for energy, you’ve got to see why it’s vital to get the right kind of B-12 for maximum energy levels.
There’s A Superior Form of B-12: Are You Taking It?
Most of the B-12 added to supplements, or added to vitamin-enriched foods, is not the same kind of B-12 you’d get in your diet.
Ever since scientists figured out how to synthesize vitamins in labs, there’s been a push to make manufacturing of these supplements cheaper and easier.
That being the case, scientists discovered that they could create a cheap form of B-12 that, in theory, should work just like the form of B-12 found in nature.
Most lab-made B-12 is cyanocobalamin, whereas the kind of B-12 found in nature is methylcobalamin.
Cyanocobalamin serves as a precursor to methylcobalamin.
Assuming a person’s body operates without flaw, it should convert cyanocobalamin into methylcobalamin, which is the essential form needed for energy production.
Sadly, operating on that assumption has a fatal flaw.
Namely that more than 50-65% of the American population has a genetic mutation that doesn’t allow the body to “methylate” B-12; i.e., the body doesn’t convert cyanocobalamin into methylcobalamin.
That being the case, millions of people taking B-12 supplements are not getting the right kind of B-12.
And if they depend on B-12 supplements for energy, they’re not only short-changing themselves; they’re also setting up potentially dangerous deficiencies that may cause future health problems.
Why Methylcobalamin Is A Better B-12 For Everyone
Whether a person can adequately convert cyanocobalamin into methylcobalamin or not, the truth is methylcobalamin is a superior supplemental form of B-12 because it is the exact form the body needs to function.
As Dr. Carl R. Hansen writes: “With increased availability of methylcobalamin, medical research has shown that methylcobalamin has important benefits not seen with cyanocobalamin.”
The reason it’s better isn’t just because it helps boost energy levels, either.
Methylcobalamin does some things cyanocobalamin can’t.
Research contrasting the two shows methylcobalamin reverses nerve damage while also promoting nerve cell regeneration; cyanocobalamin alone cannot do that.
Methylcobalamin also helps to establish a circadian rhythm and helps with sleep patterns, mental health, depression, and more.
It also can protect the heart.
Because methylcobalamin is the biologically active form of B-12, it can be used in the body to fight the build-up of a dangerous compound called homocysteine.
When homocysteine levels accumulate in the body, vascular disease, and brain disease may result.
By helping to neutralize homocysteine levels, methylcobalamin can help to preserve the length of your life.
And these are just a handful of the benefits for methylcobalamin.
Methylcobalamin Is Affordable and Easy to Find
While cyanocobalmin is the most common form of B-12, the truth is methylcobalamin is also easy to find.
In recent years, researchers have discovered low-cost ways to make this form of B-12 so that it can be widely distributed to those looking for the best kind of B-12 for energy levels and prolonged life.
A simple search on Amazon will help locate dozens and dozens of different forms of B-12.
And for a few extra pennies a day, any person can experience the life-changing benefits of methylcobalamin without worry the money they spent is going down the drain.
