Vitamin B12 is essential for the health of the brain and nervous system, forming red blood cells and DNA, and is also an important part of the crucial biological pathways known as methylation cycles. However, deficiencies are quite common, particularly among vegetarians, adults over age 50, people with malabsorption or gastrointestinal disorders such as Celiac, Crohn’s, Colitis, IBS and those with pernicious anemia. A deficiency can be profoundly detrimental to overall health. Some of the signs of vitamin B12 deficiency include megaloblastic anemia, fatigue, cognitive changes and dementia, depression and mood disturbances, susceptibility to infection, poor balance and peripheral neuropathy which can manifest as numbness tingling, tremors.

Many vitamins, including B12, are not biologically active in the form in which they are normally found in food or supplements. In these cases, the body must convert a vitamin into its coenzyme form for the vitamin to exert its biological function. The conventional form of supplemental B12 is cyanocobalamin, but this form requires a multi-step process in order to be converted to the active forms, adenosylcobalamin or methylcobalamin. Hydroxocobalamin is a unique form of vitamin B12 which is more readily converted into adenosylcobalamin and methylcobalamin than conventional cyanocobalamin. Both active forms (adenosylcobalamin and methylcobalamin) serve different but important functions in the body. By supplementing with the hydroxy form, individuals can ensure to cover their needs for both adenosylcobalamin and methylcobalamin.