B12 and Vit C interaction...

[Emjaytee]

Hello,

I haven't posted in a long time but continue to read and learn here frequently and think this is probably the best place to look for an answer to my particular concern.

Does anyone here know much about B12 and any effect Vit C may have on levels. I recently read somewhere, though I've lost the link, that Vit C can destroy B12, presumably when it's taken orally.

I've recently been injecting Vit C and definitely feel the benefits, but of course, being a PA sufferer, became worried that it might not be such a great idea. Does anyone know if Vitamin C would deplete my B12 level, in injection form or is it just an oral/digestive issue?

I foundvthe folliwing pdf file but it's a bit too complicated for me to understand, I wonder if our more knowledgeable members could perhaps let me know if there's any useful information regarding my concerns in there. I'd very much appreciate some help in understanding more on this topic

google.com/url?sa=t&source=...

[Statesideheather]

I also read something some time ago that suggested Vitamin C would disrupt B12. I do not know the details of how that worked. When i took high dose oral C and oral B12, i suspect there was some disruption. But honestly, so many things disrupt B12 for me i cannot say for sure. More recently i have had high dose IV vitamin C. I have not noticed any change in my B12 needs. Perhaps it is the oral vitamin c that is the issue? Sorry i have no answers, just my experience.

[deniseinmilden in reply to Statesideheather]

Hiya!

Thank you for finding such an interesting article Emjaytee

[deniseinmilden in reply to deniseinmilden]

(Sorry for break in my reply - because I put a link in it wouldn't let me carry on!)

The paper says sort of the opposite of what you had heard - low B12 upsets vitamin C metabolism, not high vit C causing a problem.

It basically says that they found that people suffering symptoms of low vitamin C didn't get better even when they were given really high doses of vitamin C until they were given enough vitamin B12 to raise their blood levels of B12 and improve their B12 deficiency symptoms.

So for you guys, and others with vitamin C deficiency symptoms, it is important to get your vitamin B12 levels up to optimum - probably with lots of B12 injections. Once you do, you may find that the vitamin C starts working in your bodies well enough that you don't need very much in the way of vitamin C supplements after all to cure your problems, just because your body has enough B12 to make the vitamin C work again.

(Incidentally this may well be why many of us who are B12d struggle with iron deficiency symptoms because the processes that make iron useful in our bodies need active vitamin C to work - which needs B12!

It is definitely why those of us who have been long term B12d struggle so much to get anything to metabolise properly because all vitamins and minerals are so closely interdependent and B12 underpins everything.)

Because the B12 needs a whole range of vitamins and minerals to work properly it is often a good idea to take a broad spectrum multivitamin and mineral supplement plus extra folate, potassium, magnesium and iron, ideally from food, alongside your B12 jabs to get the most from them.

I hope you get enough B12 and the balance of everything else right so you start to feel better soon.

[MelanieV in reply to deniseinmilden]

Hello Denise, If iron is in normal range on blood tests, do we need to take iron? I was told not to supplement with iron unless you were still having periods. Is that true?

[deniseinmilden in reply to MelanieV]

Hi!

You are quite right - do not supplement with extra iron if it is in range as you can run the risk of getting things out of balance and having too much.

[MelanieV in reply to deniseinmilden]

thanks Denise. I guess it is not like b12 where you can have high levels in the serum but not absorbing it. I guess iron does not work the same way so we can go by the serum blood tests is that correct?

[deniseinmilden in reply to MelanieV]

It's more a case that even at madly high levels B12 is perfectly safe but high iron levels are not safe so it is important not to have too much iron.

There is a serious, inherited condition, haemochromatosis, whereby iron is not extracted causing serum levels to get dangerously high.

[MelanieV in reply to deniseinmilden]

understood, because one of my doctors wanted me to take iron but my last iron level was 95 with a range of 50 to 212. Is that iron level ok or is it too low? my folate is 25 with a range of greater than 5.38 and the test said optimal. Is that ok?

[deniseinmilden in reply to MelanieV]

Those levels look fine for iron and folate but just be aware of the symptoms of deficiency and excess - it's a good idea to Google them - and listen to your body.

If you notice extra symptoms or you find your B12 doesn't seem to be working then it's a good idea to get these checked again to be on the safe side.

Vitamin D is another vitamin to be aware of as a deficiency can give similar symptoms and potassium and magnesium are the other more critical minerals.

[MelanieV in reply to deniseinmilden]

Thanks so much Denise. That puts my mind at ease. I do watch my d levels very closely.

[Emjaytee in reply to MelanieV]

Thanks for the hijack btw, lol. No disrespect intended but every time I get a notification for my post... It's nothing to do with my original question, so it's a little frustrating. I'm only pointing it out for future reference, no harm done.

[Emjaytee in reply to deniseinmilden]

Hi Denise, thank you very, VERY much for taking the time to put the PDF article into layman's terms for me. You did a wonderful job xx

[fbirder]

That paper is over 50 years old.

This one is only 45 years old and states, quite unequivocally, that Vitamin C destroys B12. jamanetwork.com/journals/ja...

And this study, done two years later, says the 1974 results are irreproducible. academic.oup.com/ajcn/artic...

And this 1999 study found higher levels of B12 in people taking Vit C megadoses. jamanetwork.com/journals/ja...