• Welcome to Phoenix Rising!

    Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of and finding treatments for complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

    To become a member, simply click the Register button at the top right.

Is it okay to swallow methyl-cobalamin and adenosyl-cobalamin?

Creachur

Guest
Messages
51
I use Swanson activate B12 (it has hydroxo plu adenosyl) an d find the tablet dissolves extremely quickly

If methyl- and adenosyl- cobalamin do not require intrinsic factor to be present in the stomach for their absorption then would it be okay to swallow them rather than keep the tablet sublingually?
 

bigmillz

Senior Member
Messages
219
Location
NYC
I'm actually testing this soon. My last dental checkup raised some flags about holding my mB12 and adB12 against my gumline (irritating the gums and causing them to recede).

Every study I've found proves that you can just swallow it. I plan to do a week of swallowing it, then switch back and see if I notice a difference.
 

JES

Senior Member
Messages
1,320
There is definitely an effect from stomach absorption of at least methylcobalamin, as I get the same side effects from both sublingual and swallowing it directly. The absorption with sublingual may be better, but assuming that you have normal stomach acid levels, you should still get plenty of it absorbed.
 

CCC

Senior Member
Messages
457
I hope it works for you, but keep an eye on how you feel.

We spent a year with oral B12 (swallowing it) with no resulting change in blood B12 levels and no symptom change.
It took sublingual B12 to see any results.

From the research I've seen (including Freddd's reports of it), only 1% of oral b12 is absorbed, and that's if you have working stomach acid. Sublingual is somewhere between 5 and 20%.

Because of the teeth and gums issue, we went to the B12 oil as soon as we were happy we could tolerate the dosage. An absorption of around 80% is claimed for that, and it's slow release.
 

drob31

Senior Member
Messages
1,487
If there's anything @Freddd would say, it's that you must put mb12 under the lip for 1-2 hours and let it absorb, and not swallow it.
 

Creachur

Guest
Messages
51
If there's anything @Freddd would say, it's that you must put mb12 under the lip for 1-2 hours and let it absorb, and not swallow it.

1-2 hours seems like a very long time. Surely in that period you would make a natural swallowing action and then the dissolved B12 would be on its way to the stomach?

Wouldn't it be easier to take a larger dose and keep it in the mouth for a shorter (and more manageable) period of time?
 

CCC

Senior Member
Messages
457
1-2 hours seems like a very long time. Surely in that period you would make a natural swallowing action and then the dissolved B12 would be on its way to the stomach?

Wouldn't it be easier to take a larger dose and keep it in the mouth for a shorter (and more manageable) period of time?
Apparently the slow dissolve is the key.

It's not too good for your teeth and gums, though.
 

Hip

Senior Member
Messages
17,824
If methyl- and adenosyl- cobalamin do not require intrinsic factor to be present in the stomach for their absorption then would it be okay to swallow them rather than keep the tablet sublingually?

This paper says that for nasal administration of B12 hydroxocobalamin, 2% to 5% gets absorbed. Sublingual absorption figures will be similar, but slightly less.

However, the paper say that the absorption of oral hydroxocobalamin is about 10 to 20 times lower than nasal hydroxocobalamin, meaning only around 0.2% get absorbed orally.

You can now buy a B12 methylcobalamin supplement that has intrinsic factor in the capsule, to facilitate absorption of the B12 in the stomach.



I use Swanson activate B12 (it has hydroxo plu adenosyl) an d find the tablet dissolves extremely quickly

You might get better results if you crush the tablet into powder, and place that powder on the upper gums and cheeks area of your mouth, where saliva will not wash it away so fast.