Hi all,

I'd like to report a kind of strange experience I had with
my current Vitamin B12 supplementation.
I think it may be interesting for all kinds of supplementation.

Before I had 154ng in my blood, while 200-900 ng are considered
"normal".
Well, I took 100 ug if Cobalamin, together with the intrinsic factor
in form
of pills for about 4 weeks.
I couldn't feel any change in my body from this, but.. wait.

Now it happened that some 8 days before my vacancy I stopped the
supplementation.
After ten days, walking around in hot Italy i felt unusual tiredness.
And I got an inflammation of my gums. Also quite unusual for me.

Then came the b12-pills to my mind. I had some with me and started to
take
them.
Now, per accident or not, one or two days later the inflammation went
away
and i too felt some increased energy and appetite.

I think it was the vitamin.
But think, before the supplementation i *never* had gum inflammation
or
unusual tiredness.
I infer that the high intake led to a *high demand*.
Now I still have some years worth RDA as injections, will take them
and fear
what will be if i stop the supplementation.

I think i had the same effect of increased vitamin demand in years
long ago
when i took some multis (no effect) but easily got a cold a week after
stopping them.

Something more on b12. My girlfriend is vegetarian for 20 years now (5
years
longer). She also did a b12 test and had the *same* level of 150ng.
It could be stable at this level?
And sufficient, as now signs of deficiency show up.
In the article Todd dig up, that interviewed englishman said something
of
"humans beeing able to perhaps synthesize smaller amounts themselfes".
Well, synthesize. Vitamin b12 *is* synthesised in human guts.
But some sources claim, that this b12 cant be uptaken because the
synthetisazion occurs in an area at which uptake is no nore possible.

Vegetarians have a different gut flora (high fiber). It could be that
*parts* of this amount can be uptaken though.
Has anybody the exact references, where it is written, that
synthesized b12
can not be uptaken by humans? Please tell me.

Summary so far:
Supplementation and Vitamins. Two quite effectfull and powerfull
things.
To the good but possibly also to the bad.

cheers

Amadeus