Vitamin C Warning - B12 depletion

 High doses of Vitamin C can deplete your B-12 levels and that can be serious. B12 deficiency is apparently very common and often goes undiagnosed by doctors since they rarely test B12 levels. What follows is a summary from David Rainosheks excellent free ebook (see URL source below). He also has a free 1 hr audio on B12 available.

 

… VITAMIN  C

“Active vitamin B-12 can be destroyed by megadoses of vitamin C, which convert vitamin B-12 to analogue forms  that are worthless  to humans (8). Vitamin   C acts as  an antioxidant primarily at physiologic  doses. At pharmacologic (or mega) doses, in the presence of iron, it is one of the most potent oxidants known and drives iron-catalyzed free radical generation (45), which can not only damage vitamin B-12 but can destroy IF (46).”52

 

see: http://www.b12exposed.com/free-ebook/

 

www.B-12Exposed.com and

www.JuiceFeasting.com Vitamin B-12 Exposed by David Rainoshek, M.A.      

 

“Billions of health care dollars are being wasted on undiagnosed B-12 deficiency.”

– Sally M. Pacholok, R.N.

 

“I just want to emphasize the point that everybody is low in B-12. It is a big problem.” – Dr. Gabriel Cousens, M.D.

 

THE BOTTOM LINE, AT THE TOP

 

ONE: MOST OF US ARE DEFICIENT AND DON’T KNOW IT.

Most of us are Vitamin B-12 deficient, and this deficiency masquerades as a host of signs and symptoms (see below), which few medical professionals would link with B-12 deficiency.

 

TWO: THERE ARE DIETARY AND BIOCHEMICAL REASONS WHY WE ARE DEFICIENT IN B-12

In modern times, don’t get enough Vitamin B-12 through our diets – whether or not we eat meat, dairy, organic, whole foods, or a plant-based diet. And many of us are missing the biochemical factors necessary to create and/or assimilate B-12 naturally.

 

THREE: MOST DOCTORS WILL NOT TEST YOU PROPERLY FOR VITAMIN B-12 LEVELS, IF THEY SUGGEST TESTING AT ALL

Most tests are for serum (blood) levels of B-12. But these tests provide false readings, primarily because they test for non-human active and human-active B-12. We can only use human-active  B-12, the non-human active B-12, or B-12 analogues, actually create B-12 deficiencies… but the blood serum tests will credit the B-12 analogues  as part of your B-12 level. Not good.

 

We will look at the GOLD STANDARD for testing your B-12 levels: a combination of a Urine MMA Test, and checking your homocysteine levels (a sign of inflammation and cardiovascular  disease), because low B-12 will go along with high homocysteine  levels. We will cover this below!

 

FOUR: WE HAVE NOT BEEN SUPPLEMENTING  B-12 CORRECTLY

 

… B-12 is one of the most important nutrients in our body. B-12 is a bright red crystalline compound, due to the element cobalt at its center. “Vitamin B-12 works with folic acid in many body processes including synthesis  of DNA,  red blood cells and the insulation sheath (the myelin sheath) that surrounds nerve cells and facilitates the conduction of signals in the nervous system.

 

There are many signs of low B-12 levels. The first is low energy, sometimes coupled with depression.

 

Severe depletion manifests as pernicious  anemia, which was invariably fatal until the discovery of B-12 in liver.  But long before anemia sets in, other conditions may manifest, most often neurological problems (numbness, pins and needles sensations,  a burning feeling in the feet, shaking, muscle fatigue, sleep disorders, memory loss, irrational anger, impaired mental function and Alzheimer’s) or psychological conditions (dementia,  depression,  psychosis and obsessive-compulsive behavior).”  2

 

With a B-12 deficiency, one can also have diarrhea, fever, frequent upper respiratory infections, impotence, infertility, sore tongue, enlargement of the mucous membranes  of the mouth, vagina, and stomach, macrocytic anemia, low platelets, increased bleeding, low white blood cell count.3

 

…2. Plant Foods with B-12 on Them

One of the world’s preeminent physicians in the study of plant foods is Dr. Gabriel Cousens, M.D., author of Conscious Eating and medical practitioner of plant-based live foods for over 40 years. In his article,  “The Mysterious  B-12” Dr. Cousens clearly explains that analog B-12 (not human-active or available for use by humans) is mainly found in plants, and where human-active  B-12 is found, analog B-12 is also there, limiting absorption. Dr. Gabriel Cousens:

 

Many of us have felt that spirulina, Klamath  Lake Algae, all the sea vegetables  had enough active B-12 to avoid a B-12 deficiency. Although the research is not fully in, we do know that, as I pointed out in Conscious Eating, these substances do have human active B-12. The problem is they also have a significant amount of analog B-12 that competes with the human active B-12.  This analog amount was not measured in my studies. Using the methyl malonic acid reduction approach, which is now the gold standard, research showed that when people used dry and raw nori from Japan, the dried nori actually made the methyl malonic acid (MMA) status worse, which means it actually reduced the B-12 status. Therefore  it could possibly worsen a B-12 deficiency.  Raw nori seemed to keep the methyl malonic acid at the same level, meaning it did not harm the B-12 status, but the research showed it did not particularly help it either.  No food in Europe  or the U.S. has  been tested for lowering methyl malonic acid. Research absolutely has to be done to answer this question fully.

 

There are many ideas of plant foods that have active B-12, but few are proving to actually raise B-12 or prevent its loss. The research has shown, for example, that tempeh does not supply human active B-12. Research in both the U.S. and the Netherlands has confirmed this. There was one paper that showed that tempeh from one particular source in Thailand did have some B-12, but what they basically found was that fermented soybean did not contain B-12. Other foods such as barley, malted syrup, sourdough bread, parsley, shitake mushrooms, tofu, and soybean paste, had some B-12 in them. Amazake rice, barley miso, miso, natto, rice miso, shoyu, tamari, umeboshi, and a variety of nuts, seeds and grains did not contain any elements or even any detectable  B-12 analog.

 

My study using the earlier gold standard test for B-12 active bacteria did show indeed that arame, dulse, kelp, kombu and wakame had significant human active B-12. Other studies have shown that dulse did have a certain amount of B-12 analog per serving. Until research is done to see if it actually lowers the methyl malonic acid levels, the question has to be raised that we can't assume that because a food has human active B-12 it will help avoid a B-

12 deficiency, because the actual non-human active analogs may be blocking the human active B-12. The same question  arises now with the aphanizomenon flos-aqua and spirulina, as well as chlorella. So, until we actually do the gold standard test of these, through the methyl malonic test, to see if it actually lowers the methyl malonic acid, I think it is reasonable  to eat these foods, but not expect that they are actually going to raise your human active B-12.

 

… There are several nutrients that influence B-12: Vitamin B-6, Vitamin E, Zinc, Folic Acid, Vitamin  C

Vitamin  B-6, Vitamin  E, and  Zinc support B-12 assimilation, Folic Acid can mask a B-12 deficiency, and megadosing of Vitamin C can destroy  B-12. Let’s take a closer look:

 

VITAMIN B-6 (PYRIDOXINE)

Do you remember your dreams? Do you have vivid, colorful dreams? If not, you may be low in Vitamin B-6. Vitamin B-6 is required  for proper absorption of vitamin B-12, and studies have shown that deficiency of vitamin B-6 has been shown to impair B-12. If you are B-6 deficient, you may also be dealing with fatigue,  malaise, chronic inflammation, anemia (low iron),  or skin disorders  such as eczema.

 

Where can you get B-6? Your best plant-based sources  of B-6 are banana,  bell peppers,  shiitake mushrooms, garlic, chard, cauliflower, collard greens, and spinach. Animal sources include: yellowfin tuna, chicken breast, turkey, calves liver, and salmon.

 

VITAMIN  E

Conversion of vitamin B-12 into its biologically active form requires vitamin E. Individuals at risk for vitamin E deficiency may also show signs of vitamin B-12 deficiency.

 

How do you know if you are lacking Vitamin E? If you have digestive problems, particular  as evidenced by nutrient deficiencies showing up in your blood work. Liver or gallbladder problems signal a Vitamin E deficiency.  You might also notice a tingling or loss of sensation in the arms, hands, legs, or feet. Finally, if the following foods are not present in your diet, this can be a precondition  for low Vitamin E.

 

Notice that the symptoms of Vitamin E deficiency are close to that of B-12 deficiency. They go hand in hand.

 

Where can you get Vitamin E? Your best whole food sources are: sunflower seeds, almonds, olives, spinach, papaya, swiss chard, mustard greens, turnip greens, collard greens, and blueberries.

 

 

… VITAMIN  C

“Active vitamin B-12 can be destroyed by megadoses of vitamin C, which convert vitamin B-12 to analogue forms  that are worthless  to humans (8). Vitamin   C acts as  an antioxidant primarily at physiologic  doses. At pharmacologic (or mega) doses, in the presence of iron, it is one of the most potent oxidants known and drives iron-catalyzed free radical generation (45), which can not only damage vitamin B-12 but can destroy IF (46).”52

 

Therefore, if you are regularly megadosing Vitamin C as part of a nutritional therapy, be aware that this could be impacting your B-12 levels!

 

…

WHY IS B-12 DEFICIENCY AN EPIDEMIC?

 

“Billions of health care dollars are being wasted on undiagnosed B-12 deficiency.” – Sally M. Pacholok, R.N.

 

“I just want to emphasize the point that everybody  is low in B-12. It is a big problem.”  – Dr. Gabriel Cousens, M.D.

 

If billions of dollars are being wasted, why is B-12 deficiency not caught?

 

We are familiar with B-12 deficiencies no matter what diet we eat: our food does not satisfy our need for B-12 completely.  We also know that modern life and health  challenges  play a role, as does aging.

 

But why are our doctors not catching B-12 deficiencies often enough? Why do people with B-12 deficiencies pay thousands of dollars in health care bills treating B-12 deficiency symptoms and not get the B-12 testing and supplementation they need to heal their B-12-related health challenges?

 

Most doctors and health providers don’t know enough about B-12 deficiency, or with all they are trying to take care of and look at for their patients, it just is not on their radar.

 

This leads to low or no screening in patients who are showing B-12 deficiency symptoms, and others who are at risk, such as persons over 65. Doctors don’t tend to test seniors because the symptoms of B-

12 deficiency look like so many other pre-existing conditions and “age-related” illnesses for which there exists a massive pharmaceutical industry to treat symptoms rather than causes.

 

Doctors will also tend to wait until a patient has enlarged red blood cells or macrocytic anemia – an sign of an advanced  case of B-12 deficiency – before testing.

 

…View #3: The Gold Standard for Testing B-12

The Lead Standard: Serum Vitamin B-12 Test

The Gold Standard: Urinary Methylmalonic Acid (MMA) Test

Supporting Role to the Gold Standard: Homocysteine (Hcy) Test

 

…

While there are many types of cobalamin, there are two types that are best used for effective supplementation:

 

1. Hydroxocobalamin

2. Methylcobalamin

 

 

**BIG SECRET:  Most foods and supplement contain a form of B-12 called CYANOCOBALAMIN,  and it is the worst choice for supplementation. Check out this article16 by Kerri Knox, RN on www.NaturalNews.com:

 

All three types [Methylcobalamin, Hydroxocobalamin, and Cyanocobalamin] are considered `Vitamin  B-12`, they are NOT all the same and using the right one can be a critical decision.

 

Cyanocobalamin is probably the most commonly used in the medical world and is often given as `B-12 Shots` in a doctor's office for those with certain medical conditions.

 

But cyanocobalamin is actually the WORST choice, despite the fact that doctors in the US are more likely to prescribe it over any other form. Not only does cyanocobalamin require a higher  dosage for the same effectiveness of hydroxycobalamin, but it is Entirely Ineffective for several different conditions related to vitamin B-12 deficiency.

As such, it has been suggested repeatedly by several researchers, starting with Dr. AG Freeman in 1970, that cyanocobalamin should be removed from the market. While Great Britain followed through with researcher recommendations and removed the inferior product, doctors in the the United States have no such restrictions and still use cyanocobalamin routinely.

 

While hydroxocobalamin is preferred over cyanocobalamin, another formulation called methylcobalamin is actually the BEST choice.