Why is there so much vitamin B12 in Jimmy Joy Plenny Shake v2.1?

The level of vitamin B12 in Plenny Shake v2.1 is high because, unfortunately, this vitamin cannot be easily obtained through a vegan diet. B12 is most commonly present in animal products, such as dairy or meat [6-8]. This is because animals can produce vitamin B12 in the gut. However, humans lack specific bacteria needed for that. But luckily we can produce B12 synthetically without using animal products as well [7, 8]!

How is B12 absorbed by the body?

Furthermore, the synthetic form of vitamin B12 (called cyanocobalamin) cannot be directly absorbed by the body. It must first be broken down into – bear with us – two bioactive coenzymes. There are – bear with us – four metabolic steps required for this process. These steps form a metabolic handicap, and on top of that, a portion of the B12 is dumped before it is converted. So, in the end, an absorption of 140 mcg of cyanocobalamin provides the body with – bear with us – only 2.76 mcg of cyanocobalamin [1-5].

Why do we need vitamin B12 anyway?

As you may recall from biology classes, DNA encodes all the information to build and maintain your body. Vitamin B12 enables the production of DNA building blocks, specifically thymidine (T) [6]. An insufficient amount of vitamin B12 can reduce the oxygen available in the body and lead to fatigue.

How much B12 do you need?

According to the latest research in Europe by EFSA , it is recommended that adults get 4-7 μg of vitamin B12 per day. We add 29.3ug per 400kcal, which is 11.2 times that amount. This may seem a bit enthusiastic, but don’t worry, it is by no means dangerous. What you eat is not necessarily how much of the vitamin reaches your blood. Food needs to be taken up by the epithelial cells in our gut. As we already mentioned, in the case of synthetic vitamin B12, this process causes a huge loss. Eventually, only ~40% of what we take in will be effectively absorbed [7].

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Sources

1. Bor, MV, et al., A daily intake of approximately 6 microg vitamin B-12 appears to saturate all the vitamin B-12-related variables in Danish postmenopausal women. Am J Clin Nutr, 2006. 83(1): p. 52-8.
2. Bor, MV, et al., Daily intake of 4 to 7 microg dietary vitamin B-12 is associated with steady concentrations of vitamin B-12-related biomarkers in a healthy young population. Am J Clin Nutr, 2010. 91(3): p. 571-7.
3. Kwan, LL, OI Bermudez, and KL Tucker, Low vitamin B-12 intake and status are more prevalent in Hispanic older adults of Caribbean origin than in neighborhood-matched non-Hispanic whites. J Nutr, 2002. 132(7): p. 2059-64.
4. Tucker, KL, et al., Plasma vitamin B-12 concentrations relate to intake source in the Framingham Offspring study. Am J Clin Nutr, 2000. 71(2): p. 514-22.
5. Vogiatzoglou, A., et al., Dietary sources of vitamin B-12 and their association with plasma vitamin B-12 concentrations in the general population: the Hordaland Homocysteine ​​Study. Am J Clin Nutr, 2009. 89(4): p. 1078-87.
6. Allen, L.H., Vitamin B-12. Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.), 2012. 3(1): p. 54-55.
7. O'Leary, F. and S. Samman, Vitamin B12 in health and disease. Nutrients, 2010. 2(3): p. 299-316.
8. Moll, R. and B. Davis, Iron, vitamin B12 and folate. Medicine, 2017. 45(4): p. 198-203.