How Vitamin B12 Helps To Reduce Or Prevent Nerve Pain

Today's interesting post from liveitholistic.com (see link below) looks in detail at vitamin B12 and the role it plays in helping with and preventing neuropathy. Many people take vitamin B12 supplements for nerve pain because they've heard or read that it helps but few know why they do. Most neurologists will agree that a vitamin B (and B12 in particular) deficiency can cause nerve damage but it's rare that you see a breakdown of how vitamin B actually works in the body. This is such an article and therefore an important one for neuropathy patients. Well worth a read.

The Importance of B12 and its role in Neuropathy and Anemia. 
Marc Capistrano June 19, 2016
 
The stars have aligned on this post. The topic of B12 keeps coming up lately, and it was a sign that I had to put something up on the blog. The thing about writing is that it’s almost like a personal journal (…here’s what’s on my mind at this point in time and how I feel about it.)

In this case, Vitamin B12 is on my mind!

It’s involved in every metabolic cellular process in our body, DNA production and nerve function to name a few.

A good balance of all b-vitamins is important but B12 tends to get most of the attention because it is not absorbed into the blood stream the same way the other b’s are. B12 is usually more deficient than the other b-vitamins due to a deficiency in Intrinsic Factor. It also binds with “intrinsic factor” (It’s a specialized type of protein produced in the stomach). B12 must be bound to Intrinsic Factor. Then it is absorbed in to the small intestine (There are receptor sites for B12). You need to produce HCL in order to produce intrinsic factor. You also need to produce enough HCL to produce pepsin. Intrinsic (IF) is internally produced. On the other hand, B12 is the extrinsic (outside) factor produced.

Ok Marc. Tell me why B12 vitamins are important.

1. It prevents Peripheral Neuropathy: The myelin sheath acts as an insulating cover over a nerve fiber. It’s through this nerve fiber that conduction impulses are produced and electrical signals are sent and received. Think of it this way, you touch something hot, once the sensation is felt, your nerves send a signal to your brain. This signal works on these conduction impulses. If you don’t know, now you know ***Biggie Voice***.

Well B12 prevents the breakdown of the myelin sheath that covers our nerve fibers (also known as “demyelination”). When we hear myelin sheath, we usually associate this with the brain (MS). But, the myelin is also very important for your spinal cord’s nerve fibers. This damage leads to a condition known as peripheral neuropathy, in which symptoms include loss of coordination, sensory touch and eventual decreased muscle mass.

It’s shown that B12 intake from food and supplementation can improve neuropathy conditions. With issues like tingling, muscular dysfunction and especially neuropathy, it’s best to have a specialist (Chiropractor, Physiotherapist) look at you and make a proper diagnosis. As a nutritional practitioner, my job is to support the physical intervention through nutrition once a person is diagnosed.

2. The effects of B12 deficiency can cause irreversible symptoms: This is seen in Multiple Sclerosis (a degenerative disease of the nervous system). As with any tissue in the body, once it’s damaged, scar tissue forms (also known as Sclerosis).

3. A lack of B12 can lead to Pernicious Anemia: This is a form of anemia caused by a lack of absorption of B12 due to a deficiency in Intrinsic Factor. B12 binds with “intrinsic factor” as I had mentioned earlier. Without B12 and Intrinsic factor, the membranes of immature red blood cells rupture, disintegration of the stomach lining can occur which can lead to autoimmune diseases such as Crohn’s disease.

4. It makes us happy: B12 plays an important role in supporting and assisting with the formation of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine production. And this, make us happy…

5. B12 helps us recycle Homocysteine: Anyone out there with a history of cardiovascular disease will have some knowledge of homocysteine levels. If you don’t, then just know that homocysteine is created as a by-product of our body’s metabolism of methionine and cysteine.

Homocysteine isn’t all bad, it still gives us things like Cysteine, which is a precursor to glutathione (an amino acid known for its detoxification capabilities) and is important to the synthesis of Neurotransmitters. The only problem is that high levels of homocysteine are indicative of cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. B12 is important in taking homocysteine and converting it back to methionine.

Ok…What do I do?

Before we get into the details of B12 intake, it’s important to note that all b vitamins including B12 are depleted in the body by things like stress, birth control pills and high intake of sugars.

1. Some people can’t produce Intrinsic Factor. If this is the case, B12 shots are available. You’ll want to buy Methylcobalamin (the active form), not Cyanocobalamin.

2. HCL (stomach acid) is required in order to take B12 from its protein carrier Intrinsic Factor. Refrain from antacids and supplement with Hydrochloric acid with betaine to improve stomach pH.

3. If you’re simply deficient and looking for the next best thing to a shot, then a sublingual (under the tongue) is another alternative option. This skips the digestion process and gets right into the bloodstream. People looking to simply optimize or increase B12 intake can take a Vitamin B complex with a higher B12 content.

4. B12 food sources: Liver, Meat Protein, Dairy, and Seafood (particularly shellfish).

5. The liver has to activate B-vitamins. If you have an under functioning liver, then B-vitamins are not being absorbed. Support the liver, and the b-vitamins will follow!

6. Supplements and B12 aside, it’s important to look at the root cause of demyelination (breakdown of the nerve fiber). In some cases, autoimmune conditions cause the self-destruction of the myelin sheath. Eliminating triggers that cause chronic inflammation (high sugar, poor diet etc.…) can prove to be your best prevention and early treatment. The entry of pathogens through the blood brain barrier affects the CNS, which in turn affects the peripheral system. Boosting your immune system can also be a great way to properly limit the amount of sclerotic tissue that forms.

http://www.liveitholistic.com/blog/2016/6/19/the-importance-of-vitamin-b12-and-its-role-in-neuropathy

CHEMICAL IN COFFEE MAY HELP PREVENT OBESITY RELATED DISEASE

Researchers at the University of Georgia have discovered that a chemical compound commonly found in coffee may help prevent some of the damaging effects of obesity.

In a paper published recently in Pharmaceutical Research, scientists found that chlorogenic acid, or CGA, significantly reduced insulin resistance and accumulation of fat in the livers of mice who were fed a high-fat diet.

"Previous studies have shown that coffee consumption may lower the risk for chronic diseases like Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease," said Yongjie Ma, a postdoctoral research associate in UGA's College of Pharmacy and lead author of the paper. "Our study expands on this research by looking at the benefits associated with this specific compound, which is found in great abundance in coffee, but also in other fruits and vegetables like apples, pears, tomatoes and blueberries."

During the past 20 years, there has been a dramatic increase in obesity in the United States. More than one-third of U.S. adults and approximately 17 percent of children are obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the annual medical cost of obesity is more than $147 billion.

Aside from weight gain, two common side effects of obesity are increased insulin resistance and the accumulation of fat in the liver. Left untreated, these disorders can lead to diabetes and poor liver function.

To test the therapeutic effects of CGA, researchers fed a group of mice a high-fat diet for 15 weeks while also injecting them with a CGA solution twice per week.

They found that CGA was not only effective in preventing weight gain, but it also helped maintain normal blood sugar levels and healthy liver composition.

"CGA is a powerful antioxidant that reduces inflammation," said Ma, who works in the laboratory of professor Dexi Liu in the department of pharmaceutical and biomedical sciences. "A lot of evidence suggests that obesity-related diseases are caused by chronic inflammation, so if we can control that, we can hopefully offset some of the negative effects of excessive weight gain."

But the authors are quick to point out that CGA is not a cure-all. Proper diet and regular exercise are still the best methods to reduce the risks associated with obesity.

The mice in this study received a high dose of CGA, much higher than what a human would absorb through regular coffee consumption or a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.

However, the researchers do believe that CGA may form the foundation of a treatment for those who need extra help. They plan to conduct more research to develop an improved CGA formulation specifically for human consumption.

"We're not suggesting that people start drinking a lot of coffee to protect themselves from an unhealthy lifestyle," said Ma, who is also a member of UGA's Obesity Initiative. "But we do think that we might be able to create a useful therapeutic using CGA that will help those at risk for obesity-related disease as they make positive lifestyle changes."