- Functional Food for your Genes
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by k.mammasis
Vitamin B12 is an exceptional vitamin that your body can’t make on its own, so you need to source it elsewhere. The only trustworthy vegan sources of B12 are functional foods and supplements. Are you still wondering why functional foods with vitamin b12 are your best source? Read our latest article on the comparison between natural vs synthetic nutrients, why our functional foods outperform supplements, and will improve your overall health in less than 3 months.
The Importance of Vitamin B12
All vegan diets should contain a reliable source of vitamin B12. Vitamin B12, whether in supplements, functional foods, or animal products, comes from micro-organisms and is needed to power up your body. Its absence may lead to anaemia and nervous system damage, among other health conditions. Multiple functions in your body are regulated by vitamin B12, including the following 1 :
– Maintenance of nerve and brain cells 2
– Cognitive function improvement 3
– Healthy red blood cells formation, prevention of anemia 4
– Contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism 5
– Assists in the reduction of tiredness and fatigue 6
– May help prevent congenital abnormalities (prenatal) 7 8
– Contributes to normal psychological function 9
Tracking your levels of vitamin B12 is the best way to make sure that you are not at risk of deficiency. At MILESTONE®, we “”naturally” eliminate this possibility by supplying you with 20 mcg daily per 10ml. Keep a note that the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for vitamin B12 is 2.4 micrograms/day, based on FDA’s guidelines [2]. And no, there are no registered toxicity factors or side effects associated with Vitamin B12 at those micro-levels or even at much much higher levels 7. Our product can safely be received on a daily basis for preventative or deficiency reasons and with no fear of any side effects or interactions over extended periods of usage. The synergistic combination of pomegranate with vitamin b12 makes this product the best natural functional food for mood and energy.
Why Choose Cyanocobalamin
You may notice that there are products containing different types of vitamin B12. Cyanocobalamin over Methylcobalamin (commonly referred to as the “natural” B12) is the most recent debate on this area, but it shouldn’t be. Scientific evidence suggests that cyanocobalamin is the most stable type and it is as natural as methylcobalamin 10. Your body converts it to the two active forms, methylcobalamin and adenosylcobalamin. Because methylcobalamin is the active form of this basic nutrient, it has been misinterpreted as the “natural” type of B12. But clearly, this is not true.
Both types originate from fermenting bacteria and should be considered equally natural. In fact, cyanocobalamin is even allowed for infants, which adds further validation and credibility to the well documented clinical research related to its effectiveness and side effects over the last 30 years 10.
What Makes our Formula so Unique
Our pomegranate concentrate fortified with cyanocobalamin is produced by fermentation using the strains Pseudomonas denitrificans or Ensifer adhaerens. There is a good argument for why fortification/supplementation of vitamin B12 is necessary. We live much more sanitary lives now (thanks to food safety!), which means we are not getting vitamin B12 from bacteria as we might have done historically when water supplies were less sanitary.
People can become deficient in vitamin B12 despite having adequate intake in the diet because they might have troubles absorbing it. B12 is absorbed in the lower part of the small intestine but can only be absorbed if a special carrier protein called intrinsic factor is present. Therefore, deficiency of vitamin B12 could develop not just from insufficient B12 in the diet, but also from insufficient amounts of intrinsic factor; this could occur from several conditions relating to the digestive system 11.
Our Pomegranate Concentrate with Vegan Vitamin B12 is among our best functional foods for mood and energy. It provides you with the best combination of natural enzymes, coenzymes and activators to assist during absorption in the gut. All in one, and with an incredible taste and texture that will transform your experience of food vitamins.
Summary
Vitamin B12 is a key nutrient that your body needs for many essential functions. It’s found in large amounts in animal products, functional foods, and dietary supplements. Functional foods are definitely the products that you should invest on for an overall healthy, balanced and preventative nutrition.
A Word From MILESTONE®
MILESTONE® Food for your Genes uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
- Shipton MJ, Thachil J. Vitamin B12 deficiency – a 21st century perspective. Clin Med (Lond). 2015;15(2):145-150. doi:10.7861/clinmedicine.15-2-145[↩]
- Köbe T, Witte AV, Schnelle A, Grittner U, Tesky VA, Pantel J, Schuchardt JP, Hahn A, Bohlken J, Rujescu D, Flöel A. Vitamin B-12 concentration, memory performance, and hippocampal structure in patients with mild cognitive impairment. Am J Clin Nutr. 2016 Apr;103(4):1045-54. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.115.116970. Epub 2016 Feb 24. PMID: 26912492.[↩]
- Oulhaj A, Jernerén F, Refsum H, Smith AD, de Jager CA. Omega-3 Fatty Acid Status Enhances the Prevention of Cognitive Decline by B Vitamins in Mild Cognitive Impairment. J Alzheimers Dis. 2016;50(2):547-557. doi:10.3233/JAD-150777[↩]
- Ankar A, Kumar A. Vitamin B12 Deficiency. [Updated 2021 Jun 7]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441923/[↩]
- Lukaski HC. Vitamin and mineral status: effects on physical performance. Nutrition. 2004 Jul-Aug;20(7-8):632-44. doi: 10.1016/j.nut.2004.04.001. PMID: 15212745.[↩]
- O’Leary F, Samman S. Vitamin B12 in health and disease. Nutrients. 2010;2(3):299-316. doi:10.3390/nu2030299[↩]
- Allen LH. Vitamin B-12. Adv Nutr. 2012;3(1):54-55. doi:10.3945/an.111.001370[↩][↩]
- Molloy AM, Kirke PN, Brody LC, Scott JM, Mills JL. Effects of folate and vitamin B12 deficiencies during pregnancy on fetal, infant, and child development. Food Nutr Bull. 2008 Jun;29(2 Suppl):S101-11; discussion S112-5. doi: 10.1177/15648265080292S114. PMID: 18709885.[↩]
- Syed EU, Wasay M, Awan S. Vitamin B12 supplementation in treating major depressive disorder: a randomized controlled trial. Open Neurol J. 2013;7:44-48. Published 2013 Nov 15. doi:10.2174/1874205X01307010044[↩]
- Obeid R, Fedosov SN, Nexo E. Cobalamin coenzyme forms are not likely to be superior to cyano- and hydroxyl-cobalamin in prevention or treatment of cobalamin deficiency. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2015 Jul;59(7):1364-72. doi: 10.1002/mnfr.201500019. Epub 2015 May 12. PMID: 25820384; PMCID: PMC4692085.[↩][↩]
- Department of Health & Human Services[↩]