The Difference Between Methyl B-12 Vs. Regular B-12 As A Nerve Pain Treatment

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Nerve Pain

Nerve pain or neuropathy is a category of symptoms that have been seen to cause excruciating effects on patients with physical repetitive injury and trauma as well as those with chronic diseases like diabetes.

Because of this, experts have initiated studies about the cause of forms of this debilitating condition like peripheral neuropathy and found that lack of essential B-vitamins contribute to its emergence. To be more specific, a study published in the Singapore Medical Journal and cited by the U.S. National Library of Medicine National Institutes for Health revealed that deficiency of Vitamin B-12 can cause peripheral neuropathy for people with diabetes.

Vitamin B-12 and Nerve Health

In general, the B-complex vitamins have been considered essential for nerve health. Vitamin B-12, also known as cobalamin, is considered very important in keeping nerve cells in their prime condition. It is known to aid in myelination, the process of producing the lipid-rich membranes that protect the axon and promote more efficient transmission of nerve signals called myelin sheaths.

Myelin sheaths are considered the insulator of nerves, making it a factor in intelligence, memory, and sensory functions of the central nervous system.

Because of this, deficiency of Vitamin B-12 can cause nerve damage which, in turn, results to a wide range of symptoms like weakness, fatigue, numbness, and paresthesia— that tingling or prickling sensation people experience when they stay still for a long time.

Forms of Cobalamins

Unbeknownst to many, there are several forms of cobalamin available for people suffering from B-12 deficiency symptoms. Some of the most common and readily available of Vitamin B-12 are hydroxocobalamin, cyanocobalamin, and methylcobalamin.

Hydroxocobalamin exists and is produced in the human gut in the form of good bacteria while cyanocobalamin is available as an over-the-counter supplement in low doses. Meanwhile, methylcobalamin, a.k.a. methyl B-12, can be found in the blood plasma, cytosol cells, and other bodily fluids like the cerebral spinal fluid.

According to experts, all these forms of this member of B-vitamin family exists to some degree in foods, but they vary in efficacy. In fact, many nerve health supplements like Nerve Renew are not using cyanocobalamin, which is the water-soluble form of B-12.

Instead, they include the lipid-dissolvable methyl B-12 because it is the easiest to utilize by the human body. It is also deemed as the best choice for people suffering from neuropathy, a fact which is explained in this review of Nerve Renew.

Moreover, high doses of methyl-B12 have been proven to be an effective treatment for visual and auditory symptoms of multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Alzheimer’s disease patients have also reported an improved intellectual function and memory after taking doses of this form of cobalamin.

People with Bell’s palsy have also experienced faster rehabilitation of their facial nerves while those with diabetic neuropathy reported improved symptoms, including extreme sensitivity to touch, loss of sensation, muscle cramps, sense of vibration, lower motor weakness, and burning sensations when methyl-B12 is paired with the extract of gingko biloba. Also, a randomized study involving stroke patients showed that regular intake of methyl-B12 for two years showed improvements in their sensory nerve based on electrophysiologic parameters.

Because of this, some experts consider methylcobalamin as the “kingpin” of all forms of B-12 and was even used by almost every Japanese medical expert as their sole source of B-12 for a time. All this is due to methyl-B12’s fat-solubility which makes for better absorption and bioavailability compared to regular forms of Vitamin B-12. On top of that, cyanocobalamin absorption varies depending on the patient but methyl-B12 is twice more potent and is retained by more people.