Vitamin B12 in nikalab jellies – what is worth knowing?

If you already know the nikalab brand, you know that we attach great importance to the quality of our products. One of the key issues in the case of our dietary supplements is the form of active ingredients.

Why is this important? Ingredient to ingredient is not equal. This is partly because each vitamin or mineral can exist in different chemical forms. These forms can vary in many ways:

• Chemical structure. For example, vitamin C may be in the form of l-ascorbic acid (this is its natural form) or e.g. d-ascorbic acid, the molecules of which are arranged slightly differently in space (this acid is less biologically active).
• Bioavailability. Different forms of vitamins and minerals may have different biological activities. For example, iodine in the form of potassium iodide is considered the most absorbable form of this element. It is very easily absorbed in the digestive tract and can be effectively used by the human body.
• Stability. Some forms of vitamins and minerals are more stable than others. For example, cyanocobalamin (a form of vitamin B12) is more stable than methylcobalamin, which makes it more stable and maintains its levels in supplements longer.
• Side effects. Some forms of vitamins and minerals may cause side effects, especially if taken in large amounts. For example, regular folic acid can accumulate in the blood of people who have an MTHFR gene mutation and have a toxic effect. More on this topic – in a separate text .
• Application. Different forms of vitamins and minerals may have slightly different effects. For example, magnesium in the form of citrate not only helps to replenish magnesium deficiencies in the body, but also supports intestinal function (read more about magnesium in this article ).

The formulations of nikalab dietary supplements are created taking these differences into account. We make sure that our products contain active ingredients from top European suppliers in the most digestible forms. At the same time, we make sure that the composition of nikalab dietary supplements remains stable throughout the shelf life. The stability of ingredients in dietary supplements is a guarantee of their effectiveness and safety.

Why is ingredient stability particularly important in dietary supplements for children?

Dietary supplements for children available on the market usually come in the form of syrups or jellies. They are more "friendly" in terms of the way they are administered, but may be more susceptible to the influence of moisture and temperature. The less stable ingredients are, the greater the chance that they will not remain effective over the period of use and will fall apart or spoil.

Stability is the basis of security.

In the case of capsules or tablets that are taken with water, their shell is a kind of barrier against changes in the "environment" conditions. In the case of nikalab capsules, produced using technological innovations (DUOCAP and DRcaps), we even know that the capsule will reach the place where there are optimal conditions for the absorption of nutrients (intestines). You can read more about our clever capsule here.

The dietary supplement for children in the form of jellies does not have a capsule shell, but it has a different type of "protection": at the stage of creating the formulation, we ensured the appropriate stability of the raw materials. We will develop this topic in more detail later in this text using the example of vitamin B12.

Precise dosage.

The stability of the ingredients also guarantees that the child will receive the amount of active ingredients specified on the label. Dietary supplements with unstable ingredients may not provide the doses of substances we expect. When buying popular children's products on the market, we do not know whether they will still contain the appropriate amount of active substances at the time of purchase and later. In addition, testing the compliance of the supplement's composition described on the label with what is actually inside the jar at the time of production and then throughout its shelf life is not obligatory for manufacturers.

However, at nikalab we perform these tests - both tests confirming the compliance of the composition with the label at the time of production, and stability tests confirming the declared amount of nutrients throughout their validity period (even though the law does not require us to do so).

Why do we use cyanocobalamin (a form of vitamin B12) in nikalab jellies?

All nikalab Everyday Bases contain vitamin B12. It is a vitamin that affects our energy, blood formation process, nervous system functions and many, many other functions in the body. Naturally, it can be found in products of animal origin, but in the case of vitamin B12, absorption is often a problem (you can read about it in a separate article , and we talk about its special importance for the proper development of children here ).

Everyday bases for adults from nikalab contain vitamin B12 in the form of methylcobalamin, which is considered one of the most biologically active forms of this vitamin. This is the so-called "methylated" form, the body can use it immediately for its needs, without the need for processing.

Cyanocobalamin vs. methylcobalamin.

However, in nikalab children's jellies, we (consciously!) used a different form of vitamin B12 - cyanocobalamin. The main reason is the issue of stability. Methylcobalamin added to gummies (instead of capsules, as is the case with adult supplements) would disintegrate more quickly because it is susceptible to temperature, light and moisture.

Cyanocobalamin is a highly stable form, which allows you to control its content in the final product. It is well researched by scientists, and its effectiveness and safety have been proven many times ^1,2 . There is no scientific basis for the claim that it is an "inferior" form of vitamin B12 when it comes to supplementation ³ .

It's a matter of dose.

Stable cyanocobalamin is also a better choice in terms of controlling the dose of vitamin B12 in gummies. If they contained methylcobalamin, we would not be able to guarantee a specific dose throughout the entire shelf life of the jellies.

When it comes to dietary supplements for children, cyanocobalamin also has another advantage - it can be added in smaller amounts. In the case of methylcobalamin, higher doses are usually needed precisely because of its susceptibility to degradation ⁴ . The conditions in the mouth when eating jellies could additionally intensify the process of disintegrating the methylated form of vitamin B12.

Chewing and absorption.

Effective absorption of cyanocobalamin from jellies also supports... the natural process of chewing them! Human saliva contains a special protein that binds to the vitamin B12 molecule (R-binder) ⁵ . It helps transport vitamin B12 in the body where it needs to be absorbed and used effectively.

Summary.

Vitamin B12 is available in dietary supplements in various forms. The methylated form, i.e. methylcobalamin, is considered the most biologically active. The human body can use it immediately. However, it has a drawback - it is very susceptible to disintegration in dietary supplements. We use methylcobalamin in our Everyday Bases for adults because vitamin B12 is enclosed in clever DRcaps capsules, which effectively protect the active ingredients against oxidation and moisture, and deliver vitamin B12 to the small intestine.

In the Everyday Base for children, we use cyanocobalamin in the form of jellies, which is a more stable form of vitamin B12. When chewing the jellies, it combines with a special protein found in saliva, which helps transport and absorb cyanocobalamin. It is a scientifically well-researched form of vitamin B12 with proven effectiveness and safety.

Bibliography:

1. Rizzo G, Laganà AS, Rapisarda AM, La Ferrera GM, Buscema M, Rossetti P, Nigro A, Muscia V, Valenti G, Sapia F, Sarpietro G, Zigarelli M, Vitale SG. Vitamin B12 among Vegetarians: Status, Assessment and Supplementation. Nutrients. 2016 Nov 29;8(12):767. doi: 10.3390/nu8120767. PMID: 27916823; PMCID: PMC5188422.
2. Mariotti F. (editor), Vegetarian and Plant-Based Diets in Health and Disease Prevention, 2017, chapter 41, B vitamins intake and plasma homocysteine ​​in vefetarians.
3. Obeid R, Fedosov SN, Nexo E. Cobalamin coenzyme forms are not likely to be superior to cyano- and hydroxyl-cobalamin in prevention or treatment of cobalamin deficiency. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2015 Jul;59(7):1364-72. doi: 10.1002/mnfr.201500019. Epub 2015 May 12. PMID: 25820384; PMCID: PMC4692085.
4. Spence J.D. Metabolic vitamin B12 deficiency: a missed opportunity to prevent dementia and stroke. Nutr Res. 2016 Feb;36(2):109-16. doi: 10.1016/j.nutres.2015.10.003. Epub 2015 Oct 21. PMID: 26597770.
5. Obersby D., Chappell DC, Dunnett A., Tsiami AA Plasma total homocysteine ​​status of vegetarians compared with omnivores: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Br. J. Nutr. 2013;109:785–794.