Vitamin B12 (Methylcobalamin)

What is Vitamin B12?

Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble, essential nutrient needed for energy metabolism, red blood cell production, nervous system health, and DNA synthesis (1). Without it, energy production stalls, and fatigue takes over.

The version used in Optiventure is methylcobalamin, the bioactive, naturally occurring form of B12 that your body can use straight away with no conversion required.

Why Do Outdoor Adventurers Need Vitamin B12?

When you're logging long days on the trail, B12 is the backup your body needs. It helps convert the food you eat into energy your body can actually use, which is critical when every calorie counts.

Here’s what it supports:

• Stamina and endurance, by helping cells produce ATP for energy (6,10)
• Nervous system function, keeping your reflexes and coordination sharp on sketchy terrain (6)
• Mood and cognitive clarity, because brain fog is no one’s trail buddy (1,6)
• Red blood cell formation, aiding in oxygen delivery to hard-working muscles (1,2,10)
• DNA synthesis (in partnership with folate!) and cell regeneration, speeding recovery between hikes (1,2)

Vegan and vegetarian hikers are especially at risk of deficiency, since B12 is found almost exclusively in animal products.(4,5,6)

Dietary Sources of Vitamin B12

B12 is unique. It's made by bacteria, not plants or animals directly. In food, it’s mostly found in:

• Liver, kidney, and other organ meats
• Shellfish (especially clams and oysters)
• Fish (salmon, trout, sardines)
• Meat (beef, chicken)
• Eggs and dairy
• Fortified plant-based milks, cereals, and nutritional yeast (2)

But here’s the catch: B12 absorption can decline with age, digestive conditions, or if you're just not eating much meat. Hikers on plant-based diets need to pay close attention (4,5).

What’s the Best Form of Vitamin B12 for Hikers?

Methylcobalamin is the gold-standard form for outdoor adventurers. It’s the active form of B12, ready to go as soon as it’s absorbed (2). 

Why it’s ideal:

• Naturally occurring (8)
• Better retained in tissues like the brain and liver than common synthetic forms like cyanocobalamin (8)
• Potentially more effective for supporting neurological and cognitive health than synthetic forms like cyanocobalamin (7)

Key Information About Vitamin B12

Why Optiventure Has 0.01mg (10mcg) of Vitamin B12 (Methylcobalamin)

Optiventure’s 1,000mcg dose of methylcobalamin might sound like overkill, but there's a reason:

• B12 absorption is limited per dose, with only ~1% absorbed passively at high doses (2)
• Most multivitamin supplements contain vitamin B12 at doses as low as just 5mcg (3), and standalone B12 supplements commonly contain between 500-1000mcg (2). We’re using the highest tried and tested dose out there
• Our dose compensates for poor absorption and high variability between individuals (2)
• No upper limit has been set for B12, and what you don’t use, you’ll pee out (1) 
• Methylcobalamin is bioactive and tissue-retaining, ideal for supporting nervous system recovery after long treks (8)
• It helps offset B12 depletion from low animal product intake, high exertion, or stress (9,10)
• The dose ensures vegan hikers, older adventurers, and anyone with digestive quirks get what they need. (5)

References

1. National Health and Medical Research Council. (n.d.). Nutrient reference values for Australia and New Zealand: Vitamin B12. https://www.nrv.gov.au/nutrients/vitamin-b12
2. National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. (n.d.). Vitamin B12: Fact sheet for health professionals. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB12-HealthProfessional/
3. Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of Health. (n.d.). Dietary Supplement Label Database (DSLD).https://dsld.od.nih.gov/
4. Allen, L. H. (2008). Causes of vitamin B12 and folate deficiency. Food and Nutrition Bulletin, 29(2_suppl1), S20–S34. https://doi.org/10.1177/15648265080292S105
5. Elmadfa, I., & Singer, I. (2009). Vitamin B12 and homocysteine status among vegetarians: A global perspective. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 89(5), 1693S–1698S. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.2009.26736S
6. O'Leary, F., & Samman, S. (2010). Vitamin B12 in health and disease. Nutrients, 2(3), 299–316. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu2030299
7. Journal of Nutrition. (n.d.). What is methylcobalamin?https://journalofnutrition.org/encyclopedia/what-is-methylcobalamin/
8. Alternative Medicine Review. (1998). Methylcobalamin: A review of clinical use and efficacy. Alternative Medicine Review, 3(6), 461–470.https://altmedrev.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/v3-6-461.pdf
9. Fernandes, S., Oliveira, L., Pereira, A., Costa, M. D. C., Raposo, A., Saraiva, A., & Magalhães, B. (2024). Exploring vitamin B12 supplementation in the vegan population: A scoping review of the evidence. Nutrients, 16(10), 1442. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16101442
10. Stabler, S. P. (2013). Vitamin B12 deficiency. New England Journal of Medicine, 368(2), 149–160.https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMcp1113996