Methyl-B12: Part One
Methyl-B12: An In Depth Look
There are many people unknowingly dealing with the negative effects of vitamin B12 deficiency, never thinking that this may be a health issue simply because they are not yet elderly. Yet a number of factors can predispose us to poor B12 absorption, including certain ailments, genetic mutations, prescription drugs, and restricted diets. Let’s have a closer look at some of these factors, and see if any of them may relate to you.
Furthermore, even the elderly who may be taking B12 either as a supplement or via injection may not be getting the form that their body needs and so may be gaining little benefit.
Herein we will examine the whole story about this essential vitamin and the latest information on the best forms, who needs it, and why your medical B12 test results may be suspect.
Young People May Need B12 Too
Just because you are not “old” does not mean that you may not have a vitamin B12 deficiency. This was clearly indicated by a recent analysis of the “Framingham Offspring Study”, which examined about 3,000 men and women, between the ages of 26 and 83, and found 39% of them to have plasma B12 levels in the “low normal” range (258 pmol/L), and 25% registered at well below that (185 pmol/L or less).
Currently, in the U.S., anything below 148 pmol/L is considered to be a clinical deficiency of vitamin B12, but the leader of this study, Katherine Tucker (Tufts University, Boston), pointed out that many people still show neurological problems when they fall into the accepted higher range of “low normal.”
Tucker stated that: “There is a question as to what the clinical cutoff for deficiency should be. I think there is a lot of undetected vitamin B12 deficiency out there.”
Tucker and her fellow researchers specifically chose to look at a wider age grouping than is normally considered when testing vitamin B12 levels. They wanted to see how younger people fared, since most B12 studies examine only the elderly, it being believed that they are the only ones at risk for B12 deficiency.
The youngest group, the 26 to 49 year olds, had about the same B12 status as the oldest group, 65 and older. “We saw a high prevalence of low B12 even among the youngest group”, Tucker said. (Source)
So, clearly, just not being aged is no guarantee that our B12 status is good. One simple approach I often suggest to those who wonder if they do need to take B12, is to simply take a good sublingual B12 product for a while. See if you feel any distinct improvement in mood or energy levels, any reduction in inflammation, or a clearing of mental fog. If you feel noticeable effects you really need the supplement, and if not, it can just be taken occasionally (once a week) for maintenance purposes.
Methylation and B12
A not uncommon genetic mutation can result in many people, from children to seniors, requiring much higher than normal levels of vitamin B12 in order to maintain their health.
The subject of methylation cycles is hot right now, but also fairly complicated, so I will only touch on it briefly. The proper operation of this biochemical pathway in the body is crucial for many functions including detoxification (by producing glutathione), energy production, DNA replication, immune function, neurotransmitter production, and preventing excessive inflammation (linked to many diseases).
Thus a malfunction of the methylation function is linked to a number of serious health conditions including: Alzheimer’s disease; autism; autoimmune conditions; cancer; chronic fatigue; diabetes; heart disease; immune disorders; miscarriages; neurological conditions; and psychiatric disorders.
There is such a wide range of ailments linked to this methylation function because methyl groups turn our genes on or off, and turning the wrong gene on, and/or the right gene off (known as epigenetics), leads to states of disease.
One of the enzymes in the body necessary for proper methylation (methionine synthase), needs the active form of vitamin B12 (methylcobalamin), in order for proper functioning. If one has the genetic mutation that impedes methylation, their requirement for this form of B12 will be much higher than normal, since this enzyme will be using up B12 at a much faster rate than otherwise.
Many people have a genetic malfunction of this methylation cycle (perhaps as much as 40% of the modern population in the West), which can only be discovered through genetic testing. (See a Naturopath, or google “methylation testing”, to find out how to get tested.) If you, or any of your loved ones, have any of the conditions listed above, and nothing seems to work to alleviate symptoms, it is worth considering such testing.
One approach to testing yourself for methylation issues is to do a DNA test with a company like 23andMe.com or Ancestry.ca, and then send the raw data to GeneticGenie.org, who will, for a donation, complete your methylation profile.
While this is a bit personal, if you want to have an idea if you may not methylate there are two things to look at. First, did you have a good childhood? Rat studies have indicated that emotional deprivation in infant rats leads to malfunctioning methylation. For humans this can be a result of childhood trauma, and severe emotional and/or physical abuse.
The other question I ask people is do you have a difficult to diagnose ailment (fibromyalgia, Lupus, Chronic Fatigue, etc) and/or have been in poor mental health (severe anxiety, depression, OCD, etc) for most of your adult life? If the answer to either of these questions is yes, there is a good chance that you may be a poor methylator.
Autism and B12
Not long ago, we at Nutristart received a call from a man who had used our liquid B12 product (Quick B12) on his autistic child, and found it to be of great benefit in reducing symptoms. This improvement was most likely a result of his child having the aforementioned malfunctioning methylation cycle.
One of the best sources of information on methylation and autism is the website of Dr. Amy Yasko, who specializes in treating autism based on it being a condition resulting mostly from the genetic mutation of the methylation pathways. She has had a great deal of success in doing targeted genetic analysis on autistic children, and then designing programs based on diet and nutritional supplements, specific to each child.
The study below looked at how B12 might help reduce symptoms of autism in a group of children aged from 3 to 8 years old. This was a 12-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over clinical trial using injected methyl B12. All subjects received 6 weeks of placebo, and 6 weeks of methyl B12 at a dose of 64.5 mcg/kg every 3 days (injected into the buttocks).
While the study found that only 30% of the subjects demonstrated clinically significant improvement on the Clinical Global Impression Scale, in these cases these responders “exhibited significantly increased plasma concentrations of glutathione.” As mentioned above, B12 is essential for glutathione production via the methylation cycle.
Glutathione concentrations have been found to be low in children with autism. And, since glutathione is required to detoxify the body, and because many believe that heavy metals (especially mercury) are linked to autism, we can see great value in increasing glutathione production in such cases.
The conclusion of the study was: “detailed data analysis suggests that methyl B12 may alleviate symptoms of autism in a subgroup of children, possibly by reducing oxidative stress. An increase in glutathione redox status may provide a biomarker for treatment response to methyl B12.” (J Altern Complement Med. 2010 May;16(5):555-60; “Pilot study of the effect of methyl B12 treatment on behavioral and biomarker measures in children with autism.”)
In Part 2 we will examine why it is essential that vegans and vegetarians supplement with B12, why methylcobalamin is the preferred form, and why conventional B12 tests may be flawed.
(Author: All newsletters and blogs are written by Ken Peters who has worked as a nutritional consultant for the last 30 years, and as product designer for NutriStart for the last 25 years. He has also authored two books – Health Secrets Vol. 1&2. He may be reached at: kenpetersconsulting@gmail.com)