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Methylcobalamin B12 information and product - plus a chance to get a FREE newsletter
Mind Power Rx with methylcobalamin for brain enhancement
MultiVit Rx, a potent daily multivitamin formulated by Ray Sahelian, M.D.

Methylcobalamin is one of the two coenzyme forms of vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin). Vitamin B12 plays an important role in red blood cells, prevention and treatment of anemia, methylation reactions, and immune system regulation. Evidence indicates methylcobalamin has some metabolic and therapeutic applications not shared by the other forms of vitamin B12.

Simple Methylcobalamin B12 biochemistry
Methylcobalamin is the active form of vitamin B12 that acts as a cofactor for methionine synthase in the conversion of homocysteine to methionine, thus lowering blood levels of homocysteine. Methylcobalamin acts as a methyl donor and participates in the synthesis of SAM-e (S-adenosylmethionine), a nutrient that has powerful mood elevating properties. Vitamin B12 can be absorbed sublingually, orally, and in a doctor's office it can be given by injection.

Vitamin B-12 Complex, 5 mg
Source Naturals

• Methylcobalamin and Adenosylcobalamin
• Dietary Supplement

Click here to buy Methylcobalamin (Vitamin B12), Mind Power Rx brain booster, MultiVit Rx for natural energy, or to receive a very popular and FREE newsletter
Subscribe to a FREE, Supplement Research Update newsletter. Twice a month you will be emailed a brief abstract of several studies on various supplements and natural medicine topics -- including methylcobalamin B12 research -- and their practical interpretation by Ray Sahelian, M.D.

Advanced B-12 Complex combines the two active, coenzymated forms of vitamin B-12 - methylcobalamin and adenosylcobalamin (dibencozide) - with folic acid. Vitamin B-12 is required for normal growth, cell reproduction, myelin and nucleoprotein synthesis, and the formation of red blood cells. Coenzyme supplementation bypasses the body's need to synthesize the active forms of vitamin B-12 from cyanocobalamin.

Methylcobalamin Supplement Facts:
Folate (as folic acid)
Vitamin B12 (as methylcobalamin and dibencozide [adenosylcobalamin]

Suggested Use: One methylcobalamin tablet 2 or 3 times a week or as directed by your doctor. Methylcobalamin daily value not established.

Mind Power Rx with Methylcobalamin 30 mcg - Formulated by Ray Sahelian, M.D.

Mind Power Rx with Methylcobalamin is a sophisticated cognitive formula. It combines a delicate balance of brain circulation agents and neurotransmitter precursors with powerful natural brain chemicals that support:

• Memory and Mood
• Mental clarity
• Concentration 
• Alertness & Focus

Mind Power Rx has 90 mcg of methylcobalamin per 3 capsules

The herbs in Mind Power Rx include: Ashwagandha, Bacopa, Fo-Ti, Ginkgo biloba, Ginseng, Mucuna pruriens, and Reishi.  The nutrients and vitamins in Mind Power Rx include Acetyl-l-carnitine, Carnitine, Carnosine, Choline, DMAE, Inositol, Methylcobalamin 30 mcg, Pantothenic acid, Trimethylglycine, Tyrosine, and Vinpocetine.

Click Methylcobalamin B12 above in blue for more information

Clinical Uses of Methylcobalamin
Methylcobalamin supplements increase alertness and body temperature.
Methylcobalamin may slightly help those with diabetic neuropathy. A better nutrient for this condition is Lipoic Acid.
Methylcobalamin has been found to be helpful in Bell's palsy. However, I don't have personal experience to determine whether methylcobalamin given in a doctor's office to actual patients with Bell's palsy really helps or not.
Methylcobalamin taken orally is effective in the treatment of pernicious anemia, says a Japanese study.
Methylcobalamin may inhibit the ototoxic (hearing damage) side effects of the antibiotic gentamicin.

Cobalamin and Methylcobalamin biochemistry
The B12 or cobalamin coenzymes are complex macrocycles whose reactivity is associated with a unique cobalt-carbon bond. The two biologically active forms are methylcobalamin and AdoCbl and their closely related cobamide forms. Methylcobalamin participates as the intermediate carrier of activated methyl groups. During the catalytic cycle the coenzyme shuttles between methylcobalamin and the highly nucleophilic cob(I)alamin form. Examples of methylcobalamin -dependent enzymes include methionine synthase and Me-H4-MPT: coenzyme M methyl transferase. AdoCbl functions as a source of carbon-based free radicals that are unmasked by homolysis of the coenzyme's cobalt-carbon bond. The free radicals are subsequently used to remove non-acid hydrogen atoms from substrates to facilitate a variety of reactions involving cleavage of carbon-carbon, carbon-oxygen and carbon-nitrogen bonds.

Coenzyme B12 (cobalamin)-dependent enzymes.
Essays Biochem. 1999;34:139-54.
The B12 or cobalamin coenzymes are complex macrocycles whose reactivity is associated with a unique cobalt-carbon bond. The two biologically active forms are methylcobalamin and AdoCbl and their closely related cobamide forms. Methylcobalamin participates as the intermediate carrier of activated methyl groups. During the catalytic cycle the coenzyme shuttles between methylcobalamin and the highly nucleophilic cob(I)alamin form. Examples of methylcobalamin -dependent enzymes include methionine synthase and Me-H4-MPT: coenzyme M methyl transferase.

Dibencozide
Dibencozide is an active coenzyme form of vitamin B-12. It is required for processing branched chain amino acids through the Krebs cycle.

Cobalamin
Vitamin B12, or cobalamin, is one of the most structurally complex small molecules made in Nature. Adenosyltransferase converts cobalamin to coenzyme B(12).
     Four cobalamines (methyl-, hydroxy-, adenosyl- and cyancobalamines) are considered as natural forms of vitamin B12 in human and animal tissues. Methyl- and adenosylcobalamines are the coenzymes of more than 10 enzymes, catalyzing important reactions of lipid, carbohydrate and protein metabolism. The four natural forms of vitamin B12 are interconverted in presence of corresponding enzymatic systems. Content of individual forms of cobalamines and of corresponding coenzymes depends on the function of enzymatic systems involved in their synthesis as well as on the enzymes, which use these derivatives as coenzymes. Spectra of cobalamines in human and animal bodies are dynamic systems, distinctly and specifically responding to various effects.

Adenosylcobalamin
The biosynthetic route to adenosylcobalamin from its five-carbon precursor, 5-aminolaevulinic acid, can be divided into three sections: (1) the biosynthesis of uroporphyrinogen III from 5-aminolaevulinic acid, which is common to both pathways; (2) the conversion of uroporphyrinogen III into the ring-contracted, deacylated intermediate precorrin 6 or cobalt-precorrin 6, which includes the primary differences between the two pathways; and (3) the transformation of this intermediate to form adenosylcobalamin.

Methylcobalamin Research Update
Oral supplements of vitamin B12 appear to correct vitamin B12 deficiencies as well as B12 injections. However, in order to correct a deficiency, oral doses need to contain more than 200 times the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of vitamin B12. Study author Dr. Lisette C. P. G. M. de Groot of Wageningen University in the Netherlands explained that most people develop vitamin B12 deficiencies as a result of "malabsorption," in which their bodies become unable to extract vitamin B12 from food. The deficiency typically strikes older people, she added, and takes years to develop. In some instances, people who avoid animal products -- such as vegans and followers of a macrobiotic diet -- can also develop a deficiency in vitamin B12 as a result of not eating enough B12-rich foods. A vitamin B12 deficiency is typically treated by monthly, often painful, shots. To investigate whether an oral dose of vitamin B12 works, as well, they tested various daily doses of oral vitamin B12 supplements in 120 people aged 70 and older. They found that daily oral doses of 647 to 1032 micrograms of vitamin B12 appeared to correct the deficiency. The current RDA for vitamin B12 is 3 micrograms per day. SOURCE: Archives of Internal Medicine, May 23, 2005.

Mothers with low levels of vitamin B12 in their blood are at increased risk of having an infant with spina bifida -- a birth defect in which the spinal cord fails to form properly. Based on previous research, pregnancy guidelines recommend that women consume enough folic acid to reduce the risk of spina bifida and related problems. The new findings suggest that these guidelines should also include recommendations about vitamin B12.

The many faces of vitamin B12: catalysis by cobalamin-dependent enzymes.
Annu Rev Biochem. 2003;72:209-47.
Vitamin B12 is a complex organometallic cofactor associated with three subfamilies of enzymes: the adenosylcobalamin-dependent isomerases, the methylcobalamin -dependent methyltransferases, and the dehalogenases. Different chemical aspects of the cofactor are exploited during catalysis by the isomerases and the methyltransferases. Thus, the cobalt-carbon bond ruptures homolytically in the isomerases, whereas it is cleaved heterolytically in the methyltransferases. The reaction mechanism of the dehalogenases, the most recently discovered class of B12 enzymes, is poorly understood. Over the past decade our understanding of the reaction mechanisms of B12 enzymes has been greatly enhanced by the availability of large amounts of enzyme that have afforded detailed structure-function studies, and these recent advances are the subject of this review.

Cobalamin-dependent methyltransferases.
Acc Chem Res. 2001 Aug;34(8):681-9.
Cobalamin cofactors play critical roles in radical-catalyzed rearrangements and in methyl transfers. This Account focuses on the role of methylcobalamin and its structural homologues, the methylcorrinoids, as intermediaries in methyl transfer reactions, and particularly on the reaction catalyzed by cobalamin-dependent methionine synthase. In these methyl transfer reactions, the cobalt(I) form of the cofactor serves as the methyl acceptor. Biological methyl donors to cobalamin include N5-methyltetrahydrofolate, other methylamines, methanol, aromatic methyl ethers, acetate, and dimethyl sulfide. The challenge for chemists is to determine the enzymatic mechanisms for activation of these unreactive methyl donors and to mimic these amazing biological reactions.

Effects of vitamin B12 on performance and circadian rhythm in normal subjects.
Neuropsychopharmacology. 1996 Nov;15(5):456-64.
This preliminary study investigates effects of methyl- and cyanocobalamin on circadian rhythms, well-being, alertness, and concentration in healthy subjects. Six women (mean age 35 years) and 14 men (mean age 37 years) were randomly assigned to treatment for 14 days with 3 mg cyano-(CB12) or methylcobalamin (MB12) after 9 days of pre-treatment observation. Levels in the CB12 group increased rapidly in the first, then slowly in the second treatment week, whereas increase in the MB12 group was linear. Urinary aMT6s excretion was reduced by both forms of vitamin B12 over 24 hours with a significant decrease between 0700-1100 hours, whereas urinary excretion of potassium was significantly increased between 0700-1100 hours. Activity from 2300-0700 hours increased significantly under both forms of vitamin B12. Sleep time was significantly reduced under MB12 intake. In this group the change in the visual analogue scales items "sleep quality," "concentration," and "feeling refreshed" between pretreatment and the first week of treatment showed significant correlations with vitamin B12 plasma levels. Cortisol excretion and temperature were not affected by either medication. We conclude that vitamin B12 exerts a direct influence on melatonin. Only MB12 has a positive psychotropic alerting effect with a distribution of the sleep-wake cycle toward sleep reduction.

Methylcobalamin Questions
Q. Dear Dr. Sahelian and staff, I have been in and out of this website periodically for a number of years. The site is very informative and so was the book "Mind Boosters". I am not formally educated in medicine or biochemistry so please remember this when replying to my question. How does B12, in particular methylcobalamin, work to raise body temperature?
   A. Yes, B12 or methylcobalamin can raise body temperature in a high dose.

Q. I just recently got a home PC and internet access. I now have the time and desire to do extensive research on various topics, one of the highest on the list being health issues. I suffer from depression, which has recently become treatment-resistant. After MANY HOURS of research and reading, I have happened across your website NUMEROUS times, and have not once been disappointed!! Your site is a goldmine, in numerous ways. First, your objective honesty and accuracy. Next, the sheer volume of information. I love technical details!! And most valuable, the availability of certain products that one just can't find anywhere else!! Just before I compiled this email, I found your vitamin B12 supplement, consisting of both Methylcobalamin AND Adenosylcobalamin !! AWESOME!! I LOVE YOU GUYS!! Keep up the great work!!

Q. I've been seeing a lot of hype--on TV about how absorbable sublingual B-12 is because it is not swallowed but absorbed under the tongue. My question is this: Have you studied this way of taking vitamins or have you seen any studies to support the claims made.
   A. Vitamin B12 can be absorbed sublingually, orally, and in a doctor's office it can be given by injection. Most of the supplements of b12 are in such high doses anyway, that even if there were some differences in absorption between the 3 methods, practically speaking it makes little difference.

Q. I recently heard a radio health program where the topic was the B vitamins. It was stated that Cyano Cobalamin replaces the mercury in the brain with Cyanide, that Methyl Cobalamin removes the Magnesium from the brain and the best B12 was Hydroxy Cobalamin. I have been taking 1000 mg of Methyl for tingling fingers but have stopped. Will you please comment?
   A. Many things are said on radio or the internet that don't have any studies to validate the claims. I have not yet come across research that supports this viewpoint. At this time I am comfortable with the use of all types of cobalamin preparations in reasonable amounts.

Q. I'm a bit confused regarding the forms of B12 specifically cyanocobalamin vs. methylcobalamin. Is the latter a coenzyme of the former and are they interchangeable in terms of use. Specifically is the methyl form useful for those suffering from anemia.
   A. We have not seen human studies comparing cyanocobalamin to methylcobalamin, Methylcobalamin is the methylated form of cobalamin and may be more active and useful, but we are not sure of this. At this time, for practical purposes, the two forms may be used interchangeably until studies are published that indicate one form is better than the other. If we had to choose between the two, we probably would pick methycobalamin as the better option although we cannot be 100 percent certain of this. The name vitamin B12 is refers to a group of cobalt-containing compounds known as cobalamins - cyanocobalamin, hydroxocobalamin and the two coenzyme forms of B12, methylcobalamin and 5-deoxyadenosylcobalamin (adenosylcobalamin - AdoB12).

Q.  Found this info on your web-site: "Methylcobalamin is one of the two coenzyme forms of vitamin B12
(cyanocobalamin). Vitamin B12 plays an important role in red blood cells, prevention and treatment of anemia, methylation reactions, and immune system regulation. Evidence indicates methylcobalamin has some metabolic and
therapeutic applications not shared by the other forms of vitamin B12." My understanding is Cyanocobalamin has a cyanide molecule added to the vitamin, so the Methylcobalamin doesn't contain a cyanide molecule. Is this
correct?
   A. To the best of our understanding, cyano refers to (-CN). Cyanocobalamin is a synthetic form of vitamin B12.
Cyanocobalamin is used to treat pernicious anemia, nutritional vitamin B12 deficiency, malabsorption and other cases of vitamin B12 deficiency.

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