GrymReefer
Bluelight Crew
- Joined
- May 20, 2015
- Messages
- 1,054
I'm a major advocate of supplementation however my ideology is based around fitness and maintaining an optimal level of nutrition. To do this though I tend to consume supraphysiological doses of specific key compounds while simultaneously manipulating my daily macronutritional intake in a cyclical protocol. I don't mess with monitoring most micronutritional intake unless it has the possibility of creating a toxic environment due to the various exogenous intakes. ie: copper, zinc, iron, D3.... Anything that has a detrminental threshold.
The big thing about taking a multi vitamin is the concentration the compounds exist at, the bioavailability of the compunds in relation to the manufacturing process (I'll dive into this later) and the possible interactions a few vitamins/minerals have when being consume simultaneously.
I'm sure a lot of people who believe in micronutrient supplementation take B12. However, most take an oral form that is a inactive analog (technical term is vitamer) of the cobalamin molecule. For instance cyanocobalamin has a cyanide molecule attached to the upper ligand of the cobalamin structure. This allows the compound to survive the first layer of digestion, but it is also introduced as an inactive form of B12. Meaning more enzymatic alterations must occur for cyanocobalamin to become biologically active for utilization. Most is malabsorbed due to the complicated mechanics of converting the cyanide molecule to a methyl/adenosyl and not losing a substantial amount of concentration in the process. That is a little information regarding oral use.
Now injections have a higher rate of successful absorption due to the injection making a depot within the administered site (intramuscular injections tend to be more favorable than subcutaneous injections) This depot allows a sustained release of the compound due to the fixed rate related to its total surface area and how much is in contact. You still have an absorption issues due to the nature of the attached molecule and this is where finding a more biologically active form dictates how effective its mechanics are. For instance, methylcobalamin is already in a biologically active form and thus does not necessary need a further conversion process to allow for utilization of the body. Now in order to achieve the same effect as an active injectable form, you need to consume pretty large dosages orally. A bit of the B12 is immediately absorbed via the cell membrane due to passive diffusion, but majority of the intake has to be utilized in the digestive tract where malabsorption will still ocur due to variables that are pretty confusing. So I'm not going to go that deep.
Now not every vitamin is like this, but I thought it would be a good example to show case the truly tedious nature of micronutrients and the real deal on what actually happens once it is ingested. A lot and i mean A LOT of vitamins, minerals and amino acids are negligible in the dosages you generally see in multi-vitamins or in individual forms you may see at Wal-Mart or your local pharmacy. Like Sekio said a few times there is really no need to take all of these individual substances if you have a good diet and you fit the description of the general population. If you are someone who is extremely active and I don't mean a jog every other day or 30 minute walks then extremely meticulous supplementation is a promising avenue. Just be prepared to have 5-10 kilos of powders and raw forms of vitamins sitting in your cabinets.
P.S Only reason I know that much about B12 is from my massive deficiency I once dealt with and the benefit it gives me due to having anemia. It was day/night with B12 injections, but I still take absolutely massive levels of B12 every few weeks to maintain this level. 5,000mcg-10,000mcg every few weeks depending on availability or whatever experiment I'm running on my body at a given time.
The big thing about taking a multi vitamin is the concentration the compounds exist at, the bioavailability of the compunds in relation to the manufacturing process (I'll dive into this later) and the possible interactions a few vitamins/minerals have when being consume simultaneously.
I'm sure a lot of people who believe in micronutrient supplementation take B12. However, most take an oral form that is a inactive analog (technical term is vitamer) of the cobalamin molecule. For instance cyanocobalamin has a cyanide molecule attached to the upper ligand of the cobalamin structure. This allows the compound to survive the first layer of digestion, but it is also introduced as an inactive form of B12. Meaning more enzymatic alterations must occur for cyanocobalamin to become biologically active for utilization. Most is malabsorbed due to the complicated mechanics of converting the cyanide molecule to a methyl/adenosyl and not losing a substantial amount of concentration in the process. That is a little information regarding oral use.
Now injections have a higher rate of successful absorption due to the injection making a depot within the administered site (intramuscular injections tend to be more favorable than subcutaneous injections) This depot allows a sustained release of the compound due to the fixed rate related to its total surface area and how much is in contact. You still have an absorption issues due to the nature of the attached molecule and this is where finding a more biologically active form dictates how effective its mechanics are. For instance, methylcobalamin is already in a biologically active form and thus does not necessary need a further conversion process to allow for utilization of the body. Now in order to achieve the same effect as an active injectable form, you need to consume pretty large dosages orally. A bit of the B12 is immediately absorbed via the cell membrane due to passive diffusion, but majority of the intake has to be utilized in the digestive tract where malabsorption will still ocur due to variables that are pretty confusing. So I'm not going to go that deep.
Now not every vitamin is like this, but I thought it would be a good example to show case the truly tedious nature of micronutrients and the real deal on what actually happens once it is ingested. A lot and i mean A LOT of vitamins, minerals and amino acids are negligible in the dosages you generally see in multi-vitamins or in individual forms you may see at Wal-Mart or your local pharmacy. Like Sekio said a few times there is really no need to take all of these individual substances if you have a good diet and you fit the description of the general population. If you are someone who is extremely active and I don't mean a jog every other day or 30 minute walks then extremely meticulous supplementation is a promising avenue. Just be prepared to have 5-10 kilos of powders and raw forms of vitamins sitting in your cabinets.
P.S Only reason I know that much about B12 is from my massive deficiency I once dealt with and the benefit it gives me due to having anemia. It was day/night with B12 injections, but I still take absolutely massive levels of B12 every few weeks to maintain this level. 5,000mcg-10,000mcg every few weeks depending on availability or whatever experiment I'm running on my body at a given time.
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