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

The level of vitamin B12 in Plenny Shake It 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.

Vitamin B12 (*Updated February 2023)

Active absorption of vitamin B12

Our latest findings on the absorption rate of vitamin B12 made us more curious and after further research, we found that there may be a saturation in the absorption mechanism of the vitamin. Active absorption is severely limited. Studies indicate that the absorption efficiency of B12 is lower when the high B12 content is higher. (10) They showed that the absorption of B12 varies from about 56%, if about 1 microgram or less is consumed, to about 1.3% for doses of 1000 micrograms (1 milligram) or more.

Studies specifically on cyanocobalamin estimated the absorption capacity of cyanocobalamin at 49% and another study at 1.5 to 2.5 μg per meal, which depends on the maximum saturation of intestinal receptors. This is why we decided to reduce the added amounts, but of course, making sure that daily needs and requirements are met. (11-15) In people with normal absorption, an intake of 4-7 ug of vitamin B12 per day is associated with adequate vitamin B12 status. (16)

EFSA reviews conclude that commercially available supplements generally contain doses between 1-5 µg. (17) An appropriate overdose based on the bioavailability of different forms of vitamins is 2-4 times higher than the established adequate intake (which is 4ug for B12) without exceeding upper limits if established.

The National Center for Biotechnology Information states that cyanocobalamin losses in urine have been observed to be 3 times greater than that of methylcobalamin. Although the absorption into the blood of both B12 forms was similar, methylcobalamin supplementation was found to cause 13% more cobalamin to be stored in the liver than cyanocobalamin supplementation. (17-19)

We use cyanocobalamin because it is the only non-animal form of this vitamin available for the application we need, and taking into account the above, 4 times higher than the recommended daily intake.

Purple algae (Laver) for B12 (cyanocobalamin)

Dried purple laver is a plant product and the most suitable source of vitamin B12 currently available for vegetarians and vegans. In addition, dried purple laver also contains high levels of other nutrients that tend to be lacking in vegetarian diets, such as iron and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.

So, in one serving of Plenny Shake you can find 3.2ug of vitamin B12, which represents 128% of the recommended daily intake. Quite enough, don't you think?

Of the micronutrients that appear in smaller quantities, their absorption and high bioavailability were taken into greater account, which is why the quantities were reduced while meeting the necessary daily recommendations.

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.

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