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Sublingual vitamin B12 was developed as an alternative to vitamin B12 injections.
Before sublingual vitamin B12, the only option if you couldn't absorb vitamin B12 was to take vitamin B12 shots. Sublingual B-12 is taken under the tongue because that area is rich in blood vessels that are close to the surface and enters the blood stream directly through the blood vessels on the lining under the tongue. Medications that can pass through the mucosa under your tongue get into your bloodstream rapidly. It is the quickest way to get medication into your bloodstream other than through an IV.
Vitamin B12 helps maintain healthy nerve cells and red blood cells. It is also needed to help make DNA, the genetic material in all cells. Vitamin B12 is bound to the protein in food. Hydrochloric acid in the stomach releases B12 from proteins in foods during digestion. Once released, vitamin B12 combines with a substance called gastric intrinsic factor. This complex can then be absorbed by the intestinal tract.
Most individuals who develop a vitamin B12 deficiency have an underlying stomach or intestinal disorder that limits the absorption of vitamin B12.
Characteristic signs, symptoms, and health problems associated with B12 deficiency include anemia, fatigue, weakness, constipation, loss of appetite, and weight loss. Deficiency also can lead to neurological changes such as numbness and tingling in the hands and feet. Additional symptoms of B12 deficiency are difficulty in maintaining balance, depression, confusion, dementia, poor memory, and soreness of the mouth or tongue. Signs of vitamin B12 deficiency in infancy include failure to thrive, movement disorders, delayed development, and megaloblastic anemia. Many of these symptoms are very general and can result from a variety of medical conditions other than vitamin B12 deficiency. It is important to have a physician evaluate these symptoms so that appropriate medical care can be given.
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