Methylcobalamin A Co-enzyme For Neuropathy?

Today's post from neuropathytreatments.com (see link below) talks about the coenzyme methylcobalamin, which is a form of vitamin B12 and can help some people with neuropathic problems. Your doctor can tell you if you have a B12 deficiency or not but that doesn't tell the whole story. Methylcobalamin is the part of B12 which helps the rest of B12 to work properly and be properly absorbed. However, this coenzyme is quickly excreted by the body, so while your test may show you have good B12 levels, that may not be true for the coenzyme part of B12. Methylcobalamin is said to protect nerves in several ways and the article suggests that high doses are needed for it to work most effectively. It may well be worth doing further research on this and maybe even discussing it with your doctor before launching into mega supplementation. It's important that you know what you're doing, not only with this co enzyme supplement but with anything else you take. You don't want to overdose and you don't want to waste your money. That said, this co enzyme does seem to have beneficial properties for nerve damage. Certainly worth a read.
 

Methylcobalamin
Posted on February 12, 2014

Methylcobalamin is a coenzyme form of vitamin B-12 which supports the healthy structure and function of the nerves and brain. This coenzyme is a factor needed for effective functioning of one of the body’s vital enzymes. Many of the vitamins we eat are not biologically active in the form in which they are found in foods but are used by the body as part of a coenzyme. In other words, the body has to convert the vitamin into its coenzyme form in order for it to be effectively used.

Our bodies use vitamin B-12 in two different forms, each form having its own particular function. Methylcobalamin is the coenzyme which keeps the numbness, dementia, and sponginess of the nerve cells seen in vitamin B-12 deficiency. Adenosylcobalamin is the other coenzyme that helps the body process some amino acids and form substances used in the body’s energy cycle.

The Problem

You may think that as long as you get enough B-12, you are clear of any problems with the nerves. Wrong! The problem is that while the first form, adenosylcobalamin, is readily stored in the liver, kidneys, and other tissues, methylcobalamin is not. Its function demands that it be free to circulate in the body fluids. Therefore, methylcobalamin does not hang around the body very long. As a result, a person may have plenty of adenosylcobalamin but be deficient in methylcobalamin. That is why a person can show a normal vitamin B-12 blood level and still experience the symptoms of neuropathy.

The Solution

There have been abundant studies done on the effects of mega-doses of methylcobalamin on the neurological aspects of the body. Research suggests that supplementation with mega-doses of this coenzyme form of vitamin B-12 can protect brain and nerve cells from toxins, help the healing of damaged nerves, and provide nutritional support against degenerative diseases like diabetic neuropathy, Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, and others.

Of course, you can’t find this amount of Methylcobalamin in a regular B vitamin complex supplement. As the research indicates, it has to be mega-doses of this vitamin that will provide powerful support in terrifying disorders of the brain and nervous system. Also, it needs to be in a sublingual tablet form so as to fortify the nerve cells with the maximum amount of intact methylcobalamin.

There are many foods that contain large quantities of B-12 vitamins. Eggs, dairy products, fish and meat, especially organ meat like liver, are good sources of B-12. However, you probably don’t eat enough of these foods, so the supplement will be necessary.

The Benefits of Methylcobalamin

There are many benefits from taking methylcobalamin. This coenzyme can correct the anemia, immune, and neurological problems that sneak up on people with pernicious anemia. People who suffer from depression seem to have a deficiency of vitamin B-12 and supplementing with this vitamin seems to help with their depression. It also acts to reverse nerve damage and promote nerve cell regeneration. Methylcobalamin plays a key role in sleep. It helps the brain fill up its neurotransmitter “gas tank” when neurotransmitters are produced from amino acids. Homocysteine, a biochemical culprit associated with vascular and brain disease, is reduced with supplementation of methylcobalamin. Methylcobalamin has also been shown help with the elimination of toxic substances in the body.

Methylcobalamin and Neuropathy

Methylcobalamin has shown great promise in helping those with neuropathy. Many countries have seen the results and make this vitamin available to their people. Americans have access to this vitamin and it is very cost-effective and free from side effects. If you are a person with neuropathy caused by vitamin B-12 deficiency, you know how this condition can affect your balance as well as your experience of the other symptoms like tingling, numbness, and weakness in the lower extremities. However, if high doses of vitamin B-12 are given, usually through injection, you will see improvements of neuropathy symptoms. This is just what happened when researchers conducted a clinical trial involving neuropathy patients. Not only was there nerve regeneration, but the other symptoms including balance issues and signs of weakness were noticeably improved.

Clinical experience and scientific research have clearly established the importance of Vitamin B-12. The discovery of Vitamin B-12 was considered so monumental that the responsible researchers were honored with the Nobel Prize. Recent discoveries have demonstrated the value of using methylcobalamin for improvement in the cardiovascular, immune, and nervous systems.

http://neuropathytreatments.com/2014/02/