• Sonny Long •
• Originally published January 20, 2009 at 5:07 p.m., updated January 20, 2009 at 5:07 p.m.

Q: I have recently started taking vitamin B-12, but am not sure if I am taking the proper one. I know there is regular pill form of B-12, as well as sublingual, injections and transdermal.

Can you please give me more information on vitamin B-12 and explain each application.

A: The benefits of vitamin B-12, cobalamin, are well documented. According to James F. Balch, M.D, vitamin B-12 is an essential vitamin for the production of red blood cells and proper maintenance of the nervous system.

Taking B-12, in supplement form, may not be the best avenue since this vitamin is poorly absorbed by the stomach and the intestine. Taking B-12, in sublingual form, is placed under the tongue and is allowed to dissolve as the B-12 enters the blood stream directly through the blood vessels on the lining under the tongue.

Sublingual was thought to be a better alternative to injections since it provided better results (and some fear needles), and now there is a transdermal application where B-12 is delivered straight through the skin by applying a patch.

Q: I am eight years old. Can you tell me some interesting facts about food? I am writing a paper and thought that you could help me.

A: Congratulations on your project. I hope you will find these facts interesting. Did you know.

That in our lifetime, we consume approximately 60,000 to 100,000 pounds of food. (That is the equivalent to the weight of approximately six elephants).

By the time you are 70, you will have drunk more than 12,000 gallons of water.

Celery requires more calories to eat and digest than it contains.

Eggs contain most of the recognized vitamins except vitamin C.

Soy flour is ground from raw soybeans, soya flour comes from lightly toasted soybeans.

Strawberries are the only fruit that have their seeds on the outside.

Himalayan Gogi berries contain, weight-for-weight, more iron than steak, more beta carotene than carrots and more vitamin C than oranges.

Honey is the only edible food for humans that will never go bad.

White shelled eggs are produced by hens with white feathers and earlobes, while brown eggs are produced by hens with red feathers and earlobes.

Apples are made of up to 25 percent air, which is why they float.

I hope this is helpful.

Phylis B. Canion is a doctor of naturopathic medicine and is a certified nutritional consultant, e-mail her at doc.phyl@yahoo.com. This column is for nutritional information only and is not intended to treat, diagnose or cure.

• Print
• •
• Share
  • Share this item

    Send this to a friend

    Share on FaceBook

  • Grab the link

    Copy and paste the link:

  • Blog about it

    Blog about this page.

  • Close
• •
• Post a Comment
• •
• Favorite
• •
• Report error
  • Thank you for your submission.
    Error report or correction

    Contact name (optional) Contact phone/e-mail (optional)  

    
  • Close
• •