Your Recommendation:

It’s well worth noting that B12 blood serum tests are not able to determine the body’s cellular B12 levels (only what is swimming around in the bloodstream). But where you need the B12 is actually IN THE CELLS, so measuring the blood for B12 is really only telling you how much B12 is not getting into the cells. 

If you checked the spinal fluid for B12 levels, then you’d have some valuable data about your B12 levels (but who wants to endure the pain and cost of a spinal tap to determine if you need B12? Not to mention the fact that insurance won’t cover it). 

So what should you do? 

One thing you can do is consider trying an active form of B12 – the one we recommend (along with many naturopaths and nutritionists who understand B12) is hydroxocobalamin, because it’s best tolerated by most people. It’s very rare and more expensive, but it works EXTREMELY well.   

Stay away from cyanocobalamin, it’s the cheap, synthetic version that has cyanide in it and it has to go through a complex conversion process within the body before it can be absorbed (and many can’t do these conversions well because of genetic mutations, i.e. MTR, MTRR, etc.). 

And don’t worry, the studies tell us that sublingual B12 is just as effective as intramuscular B12 shots, so find yourself a good source of hydroxocobalamin (and put it under your tongue to dissolve).  Methyl-Life™ carries an affordable, vegan version of hydroxocobalamin in a tasty sublingual form.