Originally published March 14 2012
Find out why you're vitiamin B12 deficient and how to correct it
by Paul Fassa
(NaturalNews) Awareness of vitamin B12's importance is getting more attention lately. Every cell in our body uses vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 deficiency is more common than previously considered, and low B12 levels mimic many symptoms of other diseases.
Most professional health practitioners don't consider it as a probable cause for their patients' symptoms. Also, the common blood serum test may read high enough, but the reading probably includes what is termed human-inactive B12, which does little or nothing for your cells.
Although vegetarians and vegans are more prone to B12 deficiency, it occurs among meat eaters as well. Except for chlorella, plant foods are poor sources of human-active B12.
All usual B12 sources, such as meat, eggs, and dairy won't do much if one's small intestines are lacking the intrinsic factor. The intrinsic factor is a special protein produced in the small intestine that is key to extracting B12 from foods and assimilating it into the blood.
That's why meat and dairy consumers are not exempt from vitamin B12 deficiency. The usual symptoms of fatigue, depression, anxiety, and anemia are overwhelmed by many more physical and neurological manifestations than commonly known. Regardless of diet, it's estimated over 80 percent of the population is vitamin B12 deficient.
Proper testing and supplementation should be looked into by everyone whose health is sub-par or manifesting any symptoms listed in this source (http://www.vega-licious.com).
Getting the best B12 test and supplements
The blood serum test commonly used counts both types of B12, human-inactive and human-active. Only human-active B12 should be counted. If your blood serum test is normal or better, 150 to 200 or higher, and you are still experiencing symptoms of low energy and bad health, indirect testing should be tried.
Testing urine for high amounts of Methylmalonic Acid (MMA) is more accurate. MMA is high when B12 metabolism is low. Another indirect indicator is a high homocysteine. High homocysteine levels lead to cardiac problems. As indirect indicators, both MMA and homocysteine have inverse relationships to B12 levels.
There are three types of B12: cyanocobalamin, hydroxycabalamin, and methylcobalamin. Of these three, experts agree that methylcobalamin is the most beneficial.
However, the most commonly used B12 for supplements and doctors' injections, cyanocobalamin, is the worst. It's been observed to be counterproductive by diminishing the body's methyl groups that are necessary to assimilate B12.
Look or ask for methylcobalamin to supplement vitamin B12. It can be taken as a body patch or sublingual tablet for direct absorption into the blood to avoid digestive issues that often impede B12 assimilation.
UK doctor insists medical authorities accept real-life results of B12 therapy
UK primary care physician Dr. Joseph Chandy has treated several hundred patients successfully with B12 injections. Two of his patients were featured in a BBC report. One was misdiagnosed with MS and the other untreated for neuropathy causing complete baldness.
Dr. Chandy got the medical authority's attention because he was giving inexpensive B12 injections to patients whose blood serum B12 levels were above 150 (normal?) and up to 300. This is good example of serum testing inadequacies mentioned earlier.
His simple treatments restored these hopeless patients' lives, but UK medical bureaucrats insisted he stop until double-blind placebo testing could be done with his applications.
Dr. Chandy argued the proof was in his fully documented results. He didn't want to stop helping his patients for double-blind placebo testing, nor did he like refusing a placebo group B12. (Video, source below)
Considering the ignorance surrounding B12's overall importance and supplementation, we need to take responsibility for it ourselves.
Sources for this article include:
VIDEO: http://youtu.be/klobLSxv6i0
http://www.vega-licious.com
http://www.veganhealth.org/b12/tested
http://www.alivefoods.com/nutrition.html
http://www.medicinenet.com/homocysteine/article.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_F1xa8Jjxk&feature=related
About the author:
Paul Fassa is dedicated to warning others about the current corruption of food and medicine and guiding them towards direction for better health with no restrictions on health freedom.
You can check out his many non-compromising cutting edge, non-fluff articles here http://www.naturalnews.com/Author712.html
And you can visit his blog at http://healthmaven.blogspot.com
Paul Fassa is dedicated to warning others about the current corruption of food and medicine and guiding them towards direction for better health with no restrictions on health freedom.
You can check out his many non-compromising cutting edge, non-fluff articles here http://www.naturalnews.com/Author712.html
And you can visit his blog at http://healthmaven.blogspot.com
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