Jarrow Formulas Extra Strength Methyl B-12 1000 mcg - Dietary Supplement - 100 Lemon Flavored Chewable Tablets - Bioactive Vitamin B-12 - Supports Cellular Energy Production, Sleep & Brain Health

I read in a mindset book that our brains are coated with some white-fluid-stuff (sorry I cant remember the technical term). Anyway, when Einstein died and scientists looked at his brain, it was dripping with this white-fluid-stuff (the more to make synaptic connections?). This white-fluid-stuff in our brains thrive on Methyl B-12. After reading the book, I have taken Methyl B-12 ever since. This brand is chewable and tastes good.

These are 1000 mcg pills. These are Lozenges which means that they can be chewed or dissolved in the mouth. I felt they are little too big for me to keep under the tongue, so I keep it in the mouth and it gets dissolved just fine. These have a lemon flavour, which is sweet and not bitter. I did not feel any after-effects or discomfort from the tablets. VITAMIN B12 DEFICIENCY Vitamin B12 is important for functioning of brain and nervous system. It plays vital roles in fat and protein metabolism, hemoglobin and red blood cell production, DNA synthesis and nerve maintenance and repair. Some of the symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency include fatigue, lethargy, depression, poor memory, breathlessness, headaches, and pale skin. If ignored for too long, Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause severe and permanent damage. Since Vitamin B12 effects the brain function it can also effect the mood and low levels of vitamin B12 is also linked to depression and paranoia. DOSAGE Recommended Dietary allowance for Vitamin B12 varies with age, whether person is pregnant, or nursing, if there is a condition that needs to be treated or if a person is healthy. Usually for healthy adults the dosage is considered to be 2.4-4.0 mcg per day irrespective of which type of B12 (cobalamin) is being taken. However, for people having vitamin B-12 deficiency the doctor may prescribe higher doses. Since Vitamin B12 is water soluble, so excess Vitamin B12 is removed by the body (and doses upto 500-1000 mcg wont cause side-effects). There are no Upper intake levels suggested, however, if a person ends up in taking extremely high amounts of B-12 body will start using more water to purge the excess B12 out of body and may start showing the symptoms of overdose such as flushing of the skin, increased thirst, excessive urination and diarrhea. ARE THESE PILLS VEGAN The information on the bottle says that these are vegan and does not contain wheat, glutten, soybeans, dairy, egg, fish/shellfish, peanuts/tree nuts. Usually Vitamin B-12 is synthesized by bacteria found in animals, so B-12 is found in sources such as seafood, beef, poultry, eggs and milk or other dairy products. For people following strictly vegetarian diet, they might have Vitamin b12 deficiency and these pills seems to be a good fit for them. Also, while reading up on these pills I came across some interesting information on several web-sites about these vitamins and why are they named so. WHY IS VITAMIN B NAMED SO Vitamin B has an interesting history. In the 19th and early 20th century scientists were looking into a disease called beriberi (whose symptoms included weakness and loss of feeling in the feet and legs, edema of the trunk, difficulty in breathing etc.) Several researchers had observed that this disease was related to rice diet. It wasnt until Adolphe Vorderman (a medical inspector for prison) noticed that prisoners who had a diet of mostly brown rice had significantly less cases of beriberi than the prisoners who had diet of mostly white rice. After this several scientists were trying to separate the compound in brown rice that was responsible for preventing beriberi. A polish scientist named Casimir Funk claimed to have separated that compound and named it vitamine by combining vital amines (because it contained an amino group.) Though it was realized later that he was not completely successful in isolating the active compound from rice.It was American biochemist Elmer McCollum who was successful in doing that. Since they did not understood the complete chemical composition of the compound yet, so compound was give a generic name factor B. He had also named another compound he had discovered as factor A. However, scientific community needed a batter names than water soluble factor B (or fat-soluble factor A) so they adapted Funks nomenclature and naming them as Vitamin A, Vitamin B. The e at the end of vitamine was removed because not all compound contained animo groups and one of the rules of nomenclature mentioned naming a neutral substance of undefined composition ending in in. So the name Vitamin was adopted by scientific community and most of the new compounds were named similarly e.g. Vitamin C, Vitamin D until their complete chemical composition could be determined (some exception exists such as Vitamin K which was derived from German word Koagulation (coagulation) since this compound was a prerequisite for blood coagulation) Though even after determining the complete chemical composition of Vitamins, we still call them as Vitamin because it is easier to remember them instead of the chemical term. WHY IS VITAMIN B12 NAMED SO After further research it was found that what was earlier thought to be single vitamin was in-fact chemically distinct compounds that occurred in the food together. All these compounds were given numbers e.g. Vitamin B9 is folic acid. Vitamin B12 is a compound that contains the essential mineral cobalt. There were several Vitamin B discovered, however it was late found that only few of the Vitamin Bs are actual vital: Vitamin B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, and B12. Supplements that contain all these are sold as Vitamin B complex. WHAT IS METHYL B12 Vitamin B12 is also called cobalamin, which refers to compound that have cobal ion in the middle. Depending upon to which component cobalt is attached to it is named differently (Cyanocobalamin, Hydroxocobalamin, Adenosylcobalamin, and Methylcobalamin) Methylcobalamin contains cobalt joined with Methyl IS METHYL B12 SPECIAL The bottle mentions that Methyl B12 is superior form of B12. I am not sure of if the body gets more benefits from this form of B12, but Adenosylcobalamin, and Methylcobalamin are the forms of B12 that naturally occur in the body. So the body doesnt have to covert this form of vitamin B12 and can be absorbed easily.

(1)Both products are extremely delicious and its difficult to resist the temptation to eat too much. (2)Both products contain 1000 micrograms of methylcobalamin per tablet and will easily and rapidly dissolve in our mouth. (3)Both products are economically priced but the Jarrow Formulas product is 11.78% cheaper per tablet than the Source Naturals product. (4)One white-colored Jarrow Formulas tablet (lozenge) is much, much larger than one pink-colored Source Naturals tablet. (5)Jarrow Formulas other ingredients: xylitol, cellulose, vegetable-source stearic acid, lemon flavor, vegetable-source magnesium stearate, citric acid, and silicon dioxide. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans. (6)Source Naturals other ingredients: mannitol, sorbitol, natural cherry flavor, stearic acid, and magnesium stearate. Conclusion: Source Naturals is better if you want just the methylcobalamin with as little as possible of everything else. Jarrow Formulas is better if you want to enjoy the extremely delicious taste of a much larger tablet (lozenge) at a slightly lower price per tablet. Color Changes: Source Naturals starts out as a tiny, very slightly pinkish, white tablet that turns moderately dark pink if left outside of the pill bottle for 3 to 12 hours. Jarrow Formulas starts out as a large tablet with the exact same, very slightly pinkish, white color. However, unlike the tiny, circular, chewable, Source Naturals tablet, the large, circular, chewable, Jarrow Formulas tablet doesnt change color much if left outside of the pill bottle for 3 to 12 hours. The pink dots on the Jarrow Formulas tablet will get darker and more noticeable after being left outside of the pill bottle for 3 to 12 hours but the original, very slightly pinkish, white color will still be the predominant color. Like other forms of vitamin B12, methylcobalamin is pink and apparently gets even pinker when these tablets react with the humidity in the air. Question: Does methylcobalamin get absorbed better than cyanocobalamin? Answer: Yes, slightly. Question: Does sublingual vitamin B12 get absorbed better than swallowed vitamin B12? Answer: Yes, slightly, but not because the skin under the tongue is any better at absorbing vitamin B12 than the skin of the small intestines, where most of the vitamin B12 absorption occurs. Sublingual merely extends the total length of the absorption zone by about 5%. To get the full benefit of that extra 5%, we would need to keep the sublingual tablet in our mouth for about 15 minutes. The large intestines cannot absorb any vitamin B12, even though plenty of vitamin B12 is always being produced in everybody [including vegans] by the bacteria inhabiting the large intestines. Question: What increases and what decreases vitamin B12 absorption? Answer: Calcium increases vitamin B12 absorption. Vitamin C decreases vitamin B12 absorption. Eating vitamin B12 together with food increases vitamin B12 absorption. THE BIG PICTURE: The human brain shrinks in size as it gets older and vegans, who tend to be deficient in vitamin B12, have the fastest rates of brain shrinkage as they get older while people who swallow vitamin B12 pills tend to have the slowest rates of brain shrinkage as they get older. Meat eaters have slower rates of brain shrinkage compared to vegans but faster rates of brain shrinkage compared to vitamin B12 pill swallowers. Aim to actually absorb exactly 6 to 9 micrograms of vitamin B12 per day to stay at the optimum blood level of vitamin B12. Therefore, my advice to the vast majority of people is: Because we can only absorb about 1.05% of the vitamin B12 that we swallow, we need to swallow one 500 microgram pill once each day or one 5,000 microgram pill once each week to end up absorbing the optimum amount.

Tastes good. Very affordable B12 vitamin. B12 is supposed to help the immune system function and provide energy. I bought these based on positive reviews. So far I have no complaints.

This has really helped me go from trying to function and having more difficult days than others. To having more productive days than stymied days. Raising two children and having no structure of work to really push me, my mild to moderate depression would prevent me doing more than wash the dishes and help my children alive and entertained. After starting to take these (dissolving under the tongue) I have an increased interest, desire and ability to get a larger portion of what needs to be done finished and some extra too. These are the little nudge that launched me into exercising again among other extra circular activities ;) overall a great help! Really given my life more joy!

I need to order more.

This supplement is high quality. This particular formulation is highly absorbable. However, unless you have a metabolic Vitamin B 12 deficiency you will only need one tablet per week. For vegetarians/ vegans cut the tablet in 4 and take a quarter on alternate days. Nice taste.

Works as it should. Pleasant tasting and easy to use.

The taste and absorbency of the product appears to be ok. However I wish there were not so many other ingredients as listed on the bottle. Shipment arrived the next day as expected. I would purchase again, as the price is very reasonable.

Ive experimented with several forms of Vitamin B12 and have found this one to be, BY FAR, the most effective B12 supplement Ive used. Ive used this in conjunction with folinic acid and Jarrows PQQ to improve my brain fog symptoms, and have found them to be VERY effective. No doubt, this is largely thanks to this B12, which is perhaps the highest quality of Vitamin B12 available (Methylcobalamin). Do not settle for less with your supplements; Ive tried cheaper products before and have been greatly disappointed. This one is highly bioavailable; stay away from cyanocobalamin and several others. Jarrows continually pleases me. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!