What Are the Benefits of Sublingual Vitamin B12?

Vitamin B12 is a member of the B vitamin family. If someone can not absorb vitamin B12 through the conventional tablet method, it is often recommended that she go to her physician and get a vitamin B12 shot. This can be not only time consuming, but costly. An increasingly popular way to get vitamin B12 into the system quickly is by taking it under the tongue, also referred to as "sublingual."

Fast Absorption

The greatest benefit to taking sublingual vitamin B12 is the fast absorption of it into the system. Placing a vitamin B12 sublingual tablet, or a few drops of liquid vitamin B12, under the tongue speeds its absorption into the bloodstream through the many blood vessels directly under the tongue. According to Dr. Alfred Libby, who has researched sublingual vitamin B12 for years, taking the vitamin through the digestive tract allows absorption of only up to 1.2 per cent. Taking sublingual vitamin B12 allows for 100 per cent absorption.

Nutrient Retention

Taking vitamin B12 sublingualy also allows it to retain its nutrient density and makes those nutrients more readily available to the body. When vitamin B12 is taken via the traditional pill method, it has to go through the digestive process. During this process, it is altered and can lose a great deal of its potency. By skipping the digestive system, one is able to absorb the vitamin B12 with all of its nutrients intact.

Body Benefits

Sublingual vitamin B12 benefits the body in many ways. A major benefit is its ability to reduce homocysteine. Homocysteine is an amino acid in the blood that is responsible for damaging arterial walls, causing a buildup of cholesterol and dramatically increasing the risk of heart disease. Vitamin B12, therefore, is looked to as a supplement that can lower the risk of heart disease.
Other benefits of the vitamin is its ability to boost energy, regulate the mood, and control the sleep cycle and appetite cycle.

Brain Benefits

Sublingual vitamin B12 is often used to give a quick boost to brain and memory power. It has long been used by college students as an aid at test time because it not only boosts energy, but helps with clarity of thought.
Sublingual vitamin B12 is also known to help reduce the risk of diseases associated with aging, such as Alzheimer's and dementia. A study published by Neurology magazine in 2008, stated that those participants found with dementia and Alzheimer's also had very low levels of vitamin B12. Sublingual vitamin B12 is the fastest way to raise the levels of vitamin B12 in the body.

Cautions

While sublingual vitamin B12 is generally regarded as safe, there are some warnings. Sublingual B12 can interact with certain medications, so check with your physician before taking it to make sure that it will not interfere with your current prescriptions. Some people can also be extremely sensitive to sublingual vitamin B12. If you experience a rash, itchiness or diarrhea, discontinue its use. If your symptoms do not subside after discontinuing use, see your physician.