Sublingual B Complex

B complex is one of the best vitamin supplements that you can take for your health, as it provides the full range of b vitamins to your body. When it comes to taking a supplement more and more people are turning to sublingual b complex due to its ability to be absorbed straight into the bloodstream. This article will discuss the benefits of b vitamin complex sublinguals and who can most benefit from them.

Vitamin Absorption Problems

One of the reasons that so many people have turned to a sublingual vitamin b complex is that they have difficulties ingesting b12 through the gastrointestinal system. This can happen do to having bariatric surgery and shortening the surface area within the gut, or it can occur due to an illness or medication that affects intrinsic factor, which are the cells in the stomach that absorb b 12. Read our other post to learn more about b12 deficiency.

When someone has this issue a b complex sublingual liquid can be used by placing a few drops under the tongue and holding it there as the vitamins are absorbed through the mucous membrane. This method completely bypasses the intestinal system, so the problems caused by pernicious anemia or gastric bypass are eliminated. In addition, you will still be getting the full range of other b vitamins that are necessary for proper health. If for some reason your doctor still thinks you are not getting enough b12, then you might recommended an additional supplement to the b complex vitamin. You can learn more about b12 sublingual here.

Alternatives to a Sublingual

The best option other than a sublingual supplement for those with vitamin B digestive problems is to buy injections of b complex. This obvious has its own issues because very few people really want to have to get a shot. Often you will have to visit your doctor to get the injection, which can be burdensome for busy people.

The plus to b complex injections is that they are highly effective in restoring your levels of the vitamin and for those who need extremely high dosages. You will want to speak with your physician about these different options so they can make a recommendation that is specific to your health situation.

Favorite Sublinguals

Of the different supplement manufacturers, the online reviews have stood out well for the Spring Valley b complex sublingual liquid, as well as Nature’s Bounty vitamin b complex liquid sublingual. You can read more reviews at Amazon and check out the prices to compare against your local pharmacy.

Definitive Guide to Vitamin B12 Deficiency Symptoms

When it comes to your nutrition, the B12 vitamin is one of the most important nutrients your body needs to function properly. From essential daily functions such as red blood cell formation to maintaining the nervous system and brain, B12 serves many functions that affect your daily life. This article is designed as a comprehensive guide to vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms, and will include information on what the vitamin does, minor and severe symptoms that the body is deficient, causes and the current treatments for deficiency, and resources for further research on the subject. If your questions are not answered below, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment and we will add the information to this post.

Importance of B12

To begin with, it is important to be able to answer the question, “What does vitamin B12 do?” This essential nutrient has an impact on every cell that is in your body. By affecting the metabolism of each cell, the vitamin is able to play an important role in the regulation and synthesis of DNA and fatty acids, as well as the body’s production of energy. This is why so many people refer to B12 supplements as an energy supplement. Without this vitamin the body will feel fatigued and tire easily.

The nervous system and your brain are also highly impacted by your levels of B12. In addition to the bodies lack of energy, a low level of cobalamin (another term for B 12, based on the fact that it contains the rare biochemical element of cobalt) can also lead to memory loss and an inability to think clearly, which is often written off as simple tiredness or lack of sleep, but may in fact be a sign you are deficient in b12.

Mild Symptoms of B12 Vitamin Deficiency

The difficulty of understanding the body’s low vitamin b12 symptoms is that in the early stages of being deficient the indications are relatively asymptomatic. This means that the most common symptoms of b12 deficiency are difficult to associate with the cause. Examples are general tiredness; trouble with concentration, memory, and other mental tasks; sleeping difficulty; and mild depression or irritability. Unfortunately, these indicators are often over looked, and even when discussed with a doctor, can be difficult to pin down to one specific cause.

With today’s busy lifestyles and high stress work environment, these symptoms can often be overlooked as signs of not getting enough sleep or having too much going on at the office. It is important that you notice what is going on with your body, adjust your diet in small ways to make sure you are getting the proper nutrient intake, and consult a physician if any of the symptoms begin to get worse.

Neurological signals begin with minor tingling of the hands, back, and legs, but can progress to level akin to small shocks in the body and repeated eye twitches that will not subside. Since the effects of being b 12 deficient can be cumulative on the nervous system, it is essential that you speak with a medical professional if you begin to notice any of the minor signs of neurological distress. Energy levels and red blood cell formation can be returned to normal levels with supplementation, but long term deficiency of b 12 can lead to damage in the spine that is irreversible.

Severe B12 Deficiency Symptoms

As the lack of B12 vitamin extends over a longer timeframe and the depletion becomes more pronounced, the symptoms to indicate that a low intake of b 12 as the issue are more clearly displayed in the forms of anemia and greater neurological problems.

B12 and Anemia

The original discovery of vitamin B12 occurred due to its close ties with a disease called pernicious anemia. In simplest terms, this autoimmune disease affects the body’s ability to absorb B-12 vitamin from the stomach because the body attacks itself and destroys parts of the interior lining of the gut. The result is that even people with the correct diets can still be deficient in b12. A vitamin injection bypassing the intestinal system and going straight into the bloodstream can help return the body to normal health.

In the meantime, those suffering from anemia are unable to produce the red blood cells the body needs to transfer oxygen throughout the cardiovascular system. This will leave them subject to increased issues with fatigue, both mental and physical, as well as immune deficiencies that leave them more open to getting sick.

B12 and Neurological Disorders

Persistent and severe deficiencies in B 12 vitamin will create damage to the nerve cells that can become permanent. The severity of the neurological symptoms increases from those listed above to a complete disturbance in physical coordination and the onset of signs of mania and psychosis. At its most extreme level, the nerve damage can lead to the degeneration of the spinal cord and partial paralysis.

While these symptoms are obviously frightening to contemplate, it is important to understand that these are very extreme cases, and that proper supplementation and diagnosis can prevent these issues. It is one of the many reasons that it is important to be aware of what is going on with your body, and making sure to speak regularly with a physician.

Causes of B12 Deficiency and Those Commonly at Risk

Typically, the cause of a low b12 vitamin levels is an improper diet or problems with the body’s ability to absorb the essential nutrient. The following is a list of the common groups or causes associated with this issue.

B 12 Deficiency in Vegans

Veganism without supplements is a common cause of dangerously low levels of b12 because the typical food sources for the vitamin include various meats and animal products. Lacto-ovo vegetarians can avoid this issue by eating eggs and milk products, but vegans should look for a vegan friendly way to add this vitamin into their diet. While, some foods claim to be fortified with B12, there is a good deal of misinformation as to the level of vitamin present and the body’s ability to take any benefit from it.

Fortunately, there are many non-animal products based b12 supplements. This is possible because this vitamin is not actually created by plants or animals, but is naturally synthesized from specific bacteria. Normally, this bacteria is ingested by animals, which is why animal products are high in b12. In supplements, scientists have been able to replicate the organic synthesis of the bacteria and avoid any connection to animals.

Pregnancy and B12

Expectant mothers need far larger quantities of b vitamins during their pregnancy. This is why they are always recommended to take prenatal vitamins when they begin to plan on having a baby. A prenatal vitamin contains b12 in much higher quantities to compensate for the body’s greater need.

Gastric Bypass and Deficiency

The health effects of losing weight are huge, especially when it comes to issues like diabetes. It is important to understand that there are gastric bypass surgery side effects that you need to be aware of since it may require a few changes in your nutritional needs. In short, B12 is typically absorbed through the stomach walls, but a bariatric surgery lessens the area of the gut that comes into contact with the food. In a way, gastric bypass can be like a surgically induced pernicious anemia as discussed above.

The benefit of the weight loss far outweighs this side effect, but you will want to make sure to discuss proper post surgery nutrition with your doctor.

B12 Absorption Difficulty in the Elderly

As we get older our body begins to breakdown in different ways. Among the elderly a deficiency in B-12 is common due a chronic inflammation of the stomach called atrophic gastritis. This process impairs the parts of the gut that absorb b12 into the body.

In addition, it is important to understand that there is ongoing research that suggests a shortage of b12 can be linked to the onset and advancement of Alzheimer’s disease. At this time, several small studies have reported mixed indicators of connection, so more research is necessary, but it will not hurt to make sure it is a topic that you discuss with your primary physician.

Vitamin B12 Deficiency Treatment

There are many ways to treat a deficiency in b12 vitamin intake. From natural sources to liquid vitamins to sublinguals to injectables, there are many ways to compensate for a diet lacking in b vitamins or an impaired ability to absorb through the gut.

Natural Treatments

There are many natural remedies to b12 vitamin deficiency for those who need to supplement their diet. For vegans and vegetarians, Brewer’s Yeast is a natural source for b12 and can be added to almost any meal without affecting the taste. In addition, many soy milks and protein bars have been effectively fortified with B12.

Liquid Vitamin B12

Liquid drops are one of the best forms of supplement for vitamin b. This is for two reasons. First, liquid b12 vitamins are far easier for the body to absorb into the blood. Second, it is much easier to get higher dosages of the vitamin. The combination of the two factors allows the body to more of the vitamin and faster than a standard pill, and studies have shown that this can work affectively for those people that suffer from absorption related difficulties like those arising from pernicious anemia, bariatric surgery, or atrophic gastritis.

Sublingual B12 Vitamins

A sublingual supplement is something that you place under your tongue. This allows the vitamin to be absorbed through the mucous membrane and directly into the blood. Typically, the nutrient is used in larger doses in the form of methylcobalamin b12 (sometimes misspelled as methylcobalamine) and can be of great use to those who are unable to absorb the vitamin through the digestive system.

B12 injections

Injections of vitamin b12 are a necessary treatment for those with severely low levels of the vitamin in their body or absorption problems that liquid supplements can’t help. B 12 injections work well because they completely bypass the digestive system and go straight into the bloodstream. Typically, the first few weeks of will see an injection frequency of around 6 treatments, which then relaxes to once a month or quarterly depending on the persons particular needs and doctors recommendations.

Vitamin B12 Injection Side Effects and Toxicity Fears

For many people there is a fear of taking supplements many times over the recommended daily dosage because of the potential for vitamin toxicity in the body. Fortunately, B vitamins are water soluble, which means that most excess nutrients are flushed from the system daily when you urinate. B3, B6, and B9 have some potential for harmful side effects if taken at extreme levels, but b 12 has no known toxicity at this time. Please keep in mind that this does not give you license to take as much of the supplement as possible. Always speak with your doctor before taking any new supplements, especially in large doses.

With that said, there can be minor side effects of a b12 injectable such as low potassium levels due to rapid new growth of red bloods cells. Mild cases of hives, diarrhea, and anxiety have also been reported, but are usually short term. For the best up to date information on vitamin b 12 injection side effects, it is important to speak with your doctor. This way you know what to expect and they can help to make sure a more dangerous reaction is not being caused by an allergic reaction to the shots.

For those who wish to read more on this subject, please read the other B12 articles on this site. In addition, you can find more information at Wikipedia, WebMD, and the dietary supplements page at the National Institutes of Health.

Thank you for reading our Definitive Guide to Vitamin B12 Deficiency Symptoms, and please leave any questions that you might have below.

B12 Deficiency Symptom Side Effects

Being deficient in any vitamin or mineral can have a big impact on your overall health. B12 is one of the vitamins that is easily lacking in diets, especially among vegetarians as it cannot be received from plant matter and is primarily found in meat. One of the hard parts of missing key health elements is not knowing which one you are short of. The following is a few indicators that you might not be getting enough b12 in your diet.

A common sign that may be pointing to symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency include nerve shock in the sides of the body. It can take place on the sides of the hips or either sides of the upper body. The shock usually comes and subsides almost about the same time. This can begin to occur because b 12 has a direct impact on the regulation of the nervous system, and it is one of the serious indicators that are presented when this deficiency happens to an extreme level.

A lesser example of a indicator of needing this nutrient can be shortness of breath without chest pain during times of mild physical activity. Several other factors can lead to this result, so can be difficult to know exactly where this problem is originating without further clues.

One other of the serious vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms that may be a sign of a potentially grave health issue is the eye twitch. This can occur in one eye or both, and it is usually on the eyelid or just below the eye. One may be confused sometimes when this is noticed; sometimes irritations of the eye from environmental factors may cause this same eye twitch also. But twitching of the eye due to B12 vitamin deficiency is usually a recurrent problem.

Tingling along the back of both thighs is one of the symptoms of a low intake of B12. It normally starts at the hips and moves downwards. Once this has been noticed on more than one occasion, it is important to do some further tests to find out if it is due to an insufficient supply of B 12 in the bodies system. It is always better to get professional advice before a conclusion is drawn.

Subtle Symptom of a B12 Vitamin Deficiency

It is not a very difficult exercise to recognize larger indicators of a dangerous lack in B12 vitamin. However, if one is new to this situation, they may not be aware of the many indicators that result from this problem. In classical situations, the symptoms are vivid and easily recognized, but not every situation is the same. A common alternative reaction is if you are only experiencing a minor level of ill health from your lack of vitamins. This article will talk about some of the subtle vitamin b12 deficiency symptoms, so that you have an idea of what might be happening to your body, but in reality it may take medical professionals to truly make a proper diagnosis and treatment recommendation.

There are several ways by which symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency can be recognized. One of such ways of identifying these symptoms is tongue itching or tingling. The tongue itches every so often sometimes from side to side or around the tips. When this is happening regularly, it is an indication that it may be a symptom of this vitamin insufficiency.

Another thing that should be a source of concern when trying to ascertain whether a person is experiencing problems from low B 12 digestion is instances where white spots appear on the skin especially around the outer forearm areas. In most situations, this is a clear symptom of inadequate b12 levels but whenever such signs are noticed efforts should be made to confirm them.

Recurrent sores of the mouth sometimes extending along the edge of the lips are often times good indicators of a lack of vitamin B12 too. These appear as raw spots and not blisters. They can make eating or talking to be really uncomfortable. But they are not good enough to be taken as definite symptoms.

As you can see, many of these small inconveniences can be overlooked or difficult to pin down to a single source, which is why it is important to understand what a subtle symptom of a b 12 vitamin deficiency can feel like.

More Vitamin B12 Symptoms of Deficiency

What you eat and the nutrients that your body takes in have a huge impact on your health and energy level. Having a lack of essential nutritional elements in your diet can lead to many health problems if that imbalance is not corrected. One of the most common types of vitamin deficiency is with the b12 vitamin. This article will discuss some of the different issues that can occur if when your body is going through this situation.

There are many potential problems that can be attributed to having this deficiency such as if there are problems with how the body digests your food or there is bacteria growth in the small intestine or there may even be a parasite that is living in the small intestine. A few other things that are noticeable with vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms is tingling in the hand near the ring finger or the palm of the hand which can extend along the side of hand stemming from the wrist. Also, there can be facial pain on one side of the face or the eye twitching usually beneath the eye or on the eyelid itself.

Signs can include migraines headaches which can be accompanied by facial pains as well or there can be variations in the severity of the migraine. Depression is a key component symptom when it comes to being low on b 12. According to clinical depression studies, vitamin B12 deficiencies have been linked with low levels especially in elder people.

Another indicator comes from those that may be vegan dieters. Because the B 12 vitamin is obtained from eating animal products such as milk, eggs and cheese, most vegan dieters will have symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency. Therefore, in order to prevent this, vegan eaters have to supplement B12 by taking a daily vitamin pill or by taking a supplemental B12 pill. They can also eat foods fortified with the vitamin, although a liquid supplement or sublingual under the tongue are the easiest means of making sure that you are getting a full dosage.

Common Vitamin B12 Deficiency Symptoms

Often a person can determine if they have symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency based on their low energy level and a feeling of being lightheaded or a feeling of tiredness. As with all essential vitamins and minerals, having a long term lack of a key nutritional component can have a dramatic effect on your health and well being. However, if the deficiency is mild, there may be no noticeable symptoms, while still having a modest impact on your daily life. The most common symptoms that usually occur early on will start with a low concentration level, irritability, memory loss and or depression.

There are many different B12 deficiency symptoms that can have adverse effects on the body depending on the level deficiency that the person is experiencing. One of the major indicators of a lack of b12 is anemia, also called vitamin b12 deficiency anemia as reference by some medical doctors. There can be neurological signs that your body is in need of b12 which may occur with or without the signs of anemia. The body needs B12 to make red blood cells (which carry oxygen to the body) which is why anemia is one of the common symptoms of b12 deficiency. This is because anemia thus means that there are not enough red blood cells to carry oxygen to the body.

The B12 vitamin deficiency often occurs when there are problems with the digestive system not being able to absorb the vitamin itself. This can usually happen if a person’s body destroys the cells in the stomach that helps the body to absorb B12, this is called pernicious anemia. This type of autoimmune response is something that your doctor will need to diagnosis, so that you can begin treatment as soon as possible.

Another problem can happen when a person has had a part of their stomach removed or a lower part of their small intestine removed through surgery. Many of these types of surgery happen when overweight people have them to lose usually a large amount of weight. The health benefits of this procedure and the loss of weight can be tremendous, but it is important to make sure that you speak to your doctor about the possibility of needing vitamin b12 deficiency treatment after the surgery. This way you are informed of your supplement options and can prepare to buy vitamin b12 injections, so you are ready if any symptoms begin to occur.

There are additional signs that you a lacking in this important vitamin, which will be addressed later in a comprehensive list of symptoms and treatments in the days to come.