B12 advantages?

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CrystalClear
CrystalClear Posts: 18
in Food and Nutrition
A friend of mine recently turned me on to this new energy drink, ZipFizz. while I usually disprove of energy/vitamin drinks, this particular one is loaded with vitamins, particularly B12 (42,000% of the daily value). Now this just seems unnatural, but it made me look up the effects of B12 on the body, and apparently it is connected with weight loss due to it aiding the metabolism. Does anyone know if this is accurate?

Replies

  • doyoga
    doyoga Posts: 20
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    I'm a vegetarian so I take a B12 vitamin every morning, as directed by my doctor. I never attributed it to my weight loss, but it is definitely a possibility that it helped, I may have just never made the connection. I noticed for me, that taking B12 give me more energy for the day and just generally makes me feel good and healthier. I am going to look into it more though cause know you got me curious!
  • nolachick
    nolachick Posts: 3,278 Member
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    bumping to check back later.
    I would like to know the same. I can tell u that one of my friends lost a lot of weight while taking B complex (comination of b6 and b12 I think) but she was also working out at the time so i guess they go hand in hand.
  • Mellie13
    Mellie13 Posts: 424
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    I take a Super B Complex, which a pharmacist directed me to do for my GERD (stomach issues), it also helps with energy and the bottles says metobolism support, but I'm not sure of the efficacy of that statement. I don't think there is any actual medical research to support that claim. From personal use, I can tell it helps with energy!
  • debnu1
    debnu1 Posts: 1,568 Member
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    I attended a class taught by Larry Scott (Mr Olympia, bodybuilder) He said that the B complex vitamins help your muscles to work more efficiently and burn more fat. He suggested taking high doses up to 4 times a day.

    I lost 5 pounds last week drinking a lot of Emergen- C (high vitamin c and B vitamins) and only eating when I was hungry. (not watching anything else) Perhaps there is a method to the madness.
  • HealthyChanges2010
    HealthyChanges2010 Posts: 5,831 Member
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    bumpin
  • rtownzen
    rtownzen Posts: 6
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    taking that high a dosage of vitamins can be really dangerous. B vitamins are water soluble so they have a lower chance of being toxic to you, but i definitely wouldn't recommend taking something with 42,000& of the DV. i'm a vegan so i take vitamin b-12 supplements, only because you can only get that vitamin from animal sources. while my supplement does have a lot more than the DV, it's nowhere near that high. it helps with new cell synthesis and nerve maintenance, so i don't think tat's really responsible for weight loss...
  • sam4sure
    sam4sure Posts: 67
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    I might add the other advantages of B12 include cell production, maintain your motor skills, and future dementia. My Mom has sever b12 deficiency- she was admitted to hospital a month or so ago for it. She had issues with walking and her muscle strength was nonexistent. She is now recovering and walks very slowly. She experienced a haze as she says, muscle weakness, and dizzy spells, slurred speech. She thought she might have had mini-stroke which is common as you get older but they ruled it out with MRI/ CAT scan. They found out the pills weren't working to supplement the deficiency so she now takes shots. Anyway, it's great if B12 aids in weight management or loss (thats a plus) but I know for me personally I need to keep an eye on it. I never knew how important B12 is.
  • msarro
    msarro Posts: 2,748 Member
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    While it seems really high, its actually not that bad. The LD50 of B12 is 8000mg per kilogram of body weight.
    Source: http://msds.chem.ox.ac.uk/CY/cyanocobalamine.html

    LD50 is the level at which the average person would die (50th percentile). Now that's not to say it won't do damage at lower levels, but for the most part the amount listed is still pretty far below that amount. Just don't drink a bunch of them in a single day.

    FWIW if you have a b12 deficiency they hook you up to an IV and pipe it right into you. It just makes you extremely hyper. And even with an IV the LD50 is 2000mg/kg. So you should be safe.

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