Why Sublingual Vitamin B12?

Sublingual vitamin B12

The body may only need a small amount of vitamin B12, but a deficiency of B12 can contribute to fatigue, decreased mental abilities, arteriosclerosis and heart disease, as well as anemia and gastrointestinal disorders. Many patients exhibiting symptoms of Alzheimer’s actually suffer from a vitamin B12 deficiency. A low level of vitamin B12 has also been associated with asthma, depression, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, tinnitus, diabetic neuropathy and low sperm counts. Clearly, it is important to provide the body with an adequate amount of this crucial vitamin through diet and supplementation.

Vitamin B12 is vitally important for the metabolism, the formation of red blood cells, and the maintenance of the central nervous system, which includes the brain and spinal cord. It is required in maintaining healthy nerve cells and DNA replication; and it is involved in the functioning of the nervous system and proper blood oxygenation. Vitamin B12 also helps to convert carbohydrates, fats, and proteins from food into energy and it has been shown to keep the immune system healthy as well.

Some vitamin B12 is synthesized in the human GI tract, but is not reliable enough for most people. We also obtain vitamin B12 from eating foods that come from animals, including fish, meat, poultry, eggs, milk and milk products. Vegetables and fruits are poor sources. We can also supplement our vitamin B12 intake through vitamins or injection shots.

The most efficient and quickest way to supplement is to take sublingual vitamin B12 under the tongue every day. Sublingual literally means “beneath the tongue” and it refers to a method of administering substances in the mouth so that they can be rapidly absorbed into the blood vessels and carried throughout the body. Delivering B12 directly to the bloodstream, bypassing the digestive system, results in its maximum absorption.

B12 is a water-soluble vitamin that accumulates and gets stored, unlike other water-soluble vitamins that are quickly excreted in the urine. When vitamin B12 enters the stomach, acids in the stomach separate it from its protein source. It then must combine with intrinsic factor cells in the stomach. This B12-intrinsic factor complex travels to the intestine, where it is absorbed in the terminal ileum. The absorbed complex is then transported via blood plasma and stored in the liver, kidney, and other body tissues. An interruption at any step in this process can cause the body difficulty absorbing vitamin B12.

Sublingual vitamin B12 is an effective, safe, and inexpensive approach to supplementation when considering that many foods in our diets contain inadequate amounts of B12 and as we age, our body’s ability to absorb vitamin B12 through digestion continually decreases.

People most at risk of becoming B12 deficient include people over 40, people who drink alcohol excessively, strict-practicing vegetarians, and people who abuse drugs. Some medications may decrease absorption of vitamin B12 and the chronic use of these medications may result in a need for additional vitamin B12.

There is low risk of taking too much vitamin B12 because it has a very low potential for toxicity. The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies states, “no adverse effects have been associated with excess vitamin B12 intake from food and supplements in healthy individuals”.