Re: Re: Vegetarianism, was Native nutrition FAQ?

[Guest guest]

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>I recall reading for

>instance, that we convert cobalamin to the even more active form,

>methylcobalamin, in our bodies.

Sort of. The standard B12 supplement in the US is cyanocobalamin. I

forget the exact percentage, but the ability of a healthy, normal human to

convert this to the active form is very low, on the order of 2%, so we take

much, much more cyanocobalamin than we would take methylcobalamin. Not

everyone thinks this is a great idea. In Japan, for example, because of

concern over that conversion percentage and over the idea of releasing any

cyanide compounds from the converted cyanocobalamin into the body, the

standard supplement is methylcobalamin, and I don't even think

cyanocobalamin is available.

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[Guest guest]

Are you saying that when someone gets a Vit B-12 shot that only 2% of the liquid

going into their body is utilized properly? And that the rest is just some

cyanide compounds? If so, isn't this a lot like the vaccination industry? How

very, very sad.

----- Original Message -----

From: Idol

Sent: Monday, June 17, 2002 1:17 PM

Subject: Re: Re: Vegetarianism, was Native nutrition FAQ?

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>I recall reading for

>instance, that we convert cobalamin to the even more active form,

>methylcobalamin, in our bodies.

Sort of. The standard B12 supplement in the US is cyanocobalamin. I

forget the exact percentage, but the ability of a healthy, normal human to

convert this to the active form is very low, on the order of 2%, so we take

much, much more cyanocobalamin than we would take methylcobalamin. Not

everyone thinks this is a great idea. In Japan, for example, because of

concern over that conversion percentage and over the idea of releasing any

cyanide compounds from the converted cyanocobalamin into the body, the

standard supplement is methylcobalamin, and I don't even think

cyanocobalamin is available.

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[Guest guest]

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>Are you saying that when someone gets a Vit B-12 shot that only 2% of the

>liquid going into their body is utilized properly? And that the rest is

>just some cyanide compounds? If so, isn't this a lot like the vaccination

>industry? How very, very sad.

Well, cyanocobalamin *is* a cyanide compound. It isn't toxic itself,

AFAIK, but when the cobalamin is liberated from the cyanocobalamin molecule

for use as B12 in the body, the remaining cyanide compound fraction may be

dangerous. And yes, only a tiny fraction of the B12 in a standard

supplement is ever available to the body as vitamin B12, but I believe

shots typically contain a different form of B12, neither cyanocobalamin nor

methylcobalamin (the best form, as far as I can tell) and I don't have

availability figures for that form.

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