Question: TriVita has several Sublingual B-12 supplements. Which one should I take?

Answer: It depends on your needs.

Need for Vitamin B-12
Vitamin B-12 is an essential nutrient: You cannot thrive without it. You need Vitamin B-12 to make healthy blood, healthy nerves and a healthy brain. Vitamin B-12 insufficiency is implicated in a number of common conditions: from allergies and ADHD to bipolar disorder and Alzheimer’s disease. Along with iron and Vitamin C, Vitamin B-12 is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies among seniors. You may actually be protected from a shrinking brain with healthy levels of Vitamin B-12.

There are three ways of looking at “need” in Vitamin B-12:

1. Disease. If your blood levels are low in B-12 you may be diagnosed with a medical condition called pernicious anemia. This is a serious health condition that is often caused by the inability to properly absorb B-12.
   
   
2. Complete B-12 metabolism. Is the B-12 you are taking doing what it is supposed to do? If so, your homocysteine levels will be low. If not, your homocysteine levels will be high – even though your blood levels of B-12 are also high. B-12 along with folate, Vitamin B-6 and biotin are still needed as long as homocysteine levels are too high.
   
   
3. How you feel. Are you mentally sluggish? Do you feel better when you take B-12? If so, you can continue to take B-12 simply to feel better because there is no toxicity associated with taking B-12.

Types of B-12
Vitamin B-12 is made from the mineral cobalt by beneficial bacterial in the soil and inside living organisms. When scientists make Vitamin B-12 for use in supplements, it is done in the same way. The “parent” form of B-12 is cyanocobalamine (cyan- means blue: the color of cobalt). Cyanocobalamine nourishes your entire body, and your liver uses cyanocobalamine to make other forms of Vitamin B-12. One of the major “children” of cyanocobalamine is methylcobalamine. Methyl-B12 is used in detoxification, especially homocysteine detoxification.

There are many other types of B-12. However, as long as you have cyanocobalamine, your body will make the other types as it needs them. The exception to this rule occurs when a person has been poisoned with toxins such as mercury and lead or when a genetic imbalance prevents them from completely converting B-12.

The type of B-12 for you
Most people over 30 need to take a B-12 supplement. The only certain way to get B-12 into your system quickly (besides injecting it) is to absorb it sublingually, under your tongue. Even people under 30 may take B-12 if they feel stressed, suffer from allergies or asthma, are sad, blue or tired. Vitamin B-12 is also helpful in people with ADHD and other nervous disorders – not as a medical treatment, but as a support for healthy blood, nerves and brain.

TriVita’s Sublingual B-12 is awesome in these circumstances. Or you may want to step up to TriVita’s Super Sublingual B-12 which is faster-acting and longer-lasting – with three times the Vitamin B-12. If your homocysteine levels are high, or if you have a family history of heart attack, stroke, osteoporosis, or Alzheimer’s disease, HCY Guard may be best for you.

This should help you see the need for Vitamin B-12 as well as give you the tools you need to decide which one(s) you need!

Take Control of Your Health Use Sublingual B-12 or Super Sublingual B-12 if: You are over 30 You have any type of digestion issue You have low energy You have poor moods You need to improve your memory Use HCY Guard if: You have elevated levels of homocysteine You are exposed to environmental toxins You have low kidney function You need detoxification

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