B12 update

[aspergerian]

The common wisdom is that nutritional deficiency is extremely rare because the human body stores several years’ worth of vitamin B12. However, current research suggests that depletion and deficiency are more common than previously thought.

seattletimes.com/life/welln...

[silvestrov]

Here is an article for you (you may have read it before but others may not have):

Folate and vitamin B12 levels in levodopa-treated Parkinson's disease patients: Their relationship to clinical manifestations, mood and cognition

sciencedirect.com/science/a...

To B12 or not B12? To B12.

[aspergerian in reply to silvestrov]

Here is the one article Pubmed lists as citing the 2008 article; open access:

Associations between B Vitamins and Parkinson's Disease.

Shen L.

Nutrients. 2015 Aug 27;7(9):7197-208.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/263...

[silvestrov in reply to aspergerian]

Thanks for the article. My point for posting the article about folate and B12 deficiencies when taking L-dopa is related to the following quote from the Sinemet package label/insert:

"Since levodopa competes with certain amino acids for transport across the gut wall, the absorption of levodopa may be impaired in some patients on a high protein diet."

accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatf...

So it is advised to reduce/quit eating red meat and perhaps adopt a lighter vegetarian/Mediterrean style diet to make L-dopa therapy more effective. The problem with this is L-dopa therapy can raise homocysteine and/or methylmelonic acid levels which require higher doses of B12 and folate to lower them. Taking folate alone can mask a B12 deficiency so taking them together is advised. The inherent problem with taking L-dopa and quitting eating red meat is red meat is the best source of B12 and a vegetarian diet is devoid of B12 so supplementation is required.

yogauonline.com/contributor...

Also peripheral neuropathy is a possible consequence L-dopa therapy and B12 therapy may be required.

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi...

In so many words taking B12 at the onset of L-dopa therapy is a prophylactic measure to keep homocysteine, methylmelonic acid level(s) and peripheral neuropathy in check.

I have used large dose, 5 mg/day, methylcobalamin for at least 5 years with no side effects other than having better energy levels. Methylcobalamin is an interesting vitamin because it causes changes in your sleep/wake cycle with you sleeping slightly less with sounder/deeper sleep.

sciencedirect.com/science/a...

The following Dutch article about the safety of high dose B12 notes that hydroxocobalamin is used for cyanide poisoning, smoke inhalation, because it chelates cyanide and converts the cyanide to cyanocobalamin (which is eliminated from your body by urination). Initially a 5,000 mg dose is injected into the smoke-inhalated person and if required, another 5,000 mg dose is given 2 hours later. That totals 10,000 mg (10 grams) in a 2 hour period with slight, transitory side effects.

stichtingb12tekort.nl/weten...

As the article stated, you get a doctor's monthly B12 injection which totals 1mg. To save a persons life the dose of B12 may be 10,000 times the dose of a doctor's monthly injection. So taking 5 mg/day is not that large of a dose. I have tried taking cyanocobalamin, at 5 mg/day, and found it to be less effective and my energy levels sag.

In general, B12 levels need to be monitored in elderly people - even those not diagnosed with PD:

Vitamin B12 deficiency in the elderly: is it worth screening?

"Diagnosis of vitamin B12 deficiency, however, is not straightforward as laboratory tests have certain limitations."

hkmj.org/abstracts/v21n2/15...

Along with methylcobalamin I take methyltetrahydrofolic acid, folate, with is immediately used by the body and is far superior to synthetic folic acid.

I hope this clarifies my view on B12.

[John112233]

B12 deficiency is uncommon in countries that eat a meat based diet like USA/Aus. The con artists writing articles on it would know that. Other essential nutrient / b vitamin, and mineral deficiencies are common, and are the only cause of disease excluding genetic disease. Carcinogens, and micro organism may contribute but they are not the cause. Cancer is just multiple b vit, vit c, and other nutrient deficiencies. The reason for such common essential nutrient deficiencies is lack of variation of food in the diet. There is no single magic food that has all essential nutrients so one must vary the diet massively to get them all. Closest thing to magic foods are rice bran, yeast, wheat germ, mixed nuts.

[aspergerian]

Silvestrov and john12233,

Thak you for the informative replies.