# Vitamin B12

Category: Vitamins & Minerals

Also known as: cobalamin, methylcobalamin

Vitamin B12 is a nutrient that Ray Peat considered largely unnecessary to supplement for most people who consume animal products, because intestinal bacteria synthesize it endogenously. He noted that individuals with small intestine inflammation (SIBO) can even have B12 levels…

9 passages · 3 authors · 2013–2023 · Most-cited: [Ray Peat](https://bioenergeticoracle.com/md/voices/ray-peat/index.md)

Canonical page: https://bioenergeticoracle.com/concepts/vitamin-b12

## Synthesis

**Vitamin B12** is a nutrient that Ray Peat considered largely unnecessary to supplement for most people who consume animal products, because intestinal bacteria synthesize it endogenously. [Source 3] He noted that individuals with small intestine inflammation (SIBO) can even have B12 levels 50% higher than normal due to bacterial overgrowth in the wrong location. [Source 3] Georgi Dinkov has extended this view, arguing that the only people who genuinely need vitamin B12 are those with the specific disease **pernicious anemia**, and that for the majority of the population, there is no need for extra intake. [Source 6]

Peat acknowledged that the methylcobalamin form of B12 contains a methyl group, but he considered the quantity so tiny that adverse reactions are more likely **allergic** in nature rather than a consequence of methyl donor overload. [Source 2] He cautioned that synthetic vitamins are often made with somewhat contaminated chemicals and can be allergenic, with B2 and folic acid being the worst offenders for allergies, while B1, pantothenic acid, niacinamide, and B6 are relatively safe. [Source 1, 5] Dinkov has pointed to a more specific risk, citing studies that link *high levels of vitamin B12* with several kinds of cancer, especially of the colon, liver, and pancreas, which is why he deliberately omits it from his B-complex formulations. [Source 6]

In the context of metabolism, B12 plays a recognized role in the methylation pathway, which is involved in processing the amino acid methionine and eliminating **homocysteine**, a compound that can have negative effects on the vasculature. [Source 7] This pathway, which also requires B6 and B2, is crucial for making creatine, the myelin coating of nerves, and DNA. [Source 7] A deficiency in B12 or other methyl donors is associated with a demyelinating condition called *subacute combined degeneration*, which ties the methylation pathway to the integrity of white matter in the brain. [Source 8] However, Danny Roddy has questioned whether a person eating a high-protein diet could realistically become deficient in methionine, suggesting the body's priority is to shunt available methionine toward critical functions like myelin maintenance before using it for hair growth. [Source 8]

Peat’s broader nutritional philosophy emphasized obtaining B vitamins from food rather than supplements, recommending eggs and liver as the easiest way to get both trace minerals and vitamins. [Source 1] He observed that traditional diets were nutritionally complex and included hormone-rich glandular tissues, contrasting with the modern reliance on isolated synthetic vitamins. [Source 4] Dinkov reinforces this by criticizing standard B-complex supplements that indiscriminately include all B vitamins in uniform doses, such as 50 or 100 milligrams each, which he sees as lacking a physiological rationale. [Source 6] The core bioenergetic function of the B vitamin group is to act as cofactors for the enzymes that convert food into energy, with deficiencies causing an energetic deficit that prevents the complete oxidation of glucose and promotes the storage of electrons as fat. [Source 9]

## People also ask

### Why did Ray Peat think most people don't need B12 supplements?

Peat argued that intestinal bacteria naturally produce vitamin B12, so people who eat animal products typically get enough without supplementation, and he recommended obtaining B vitamins from foods like eggs and liver instead.

### What risks are associated with high vitamin B12 levels?

Georgi Dinkov cited studies linking elevated B12 levels to cancers of the colon, liver, and pancreas, which is why he excludes it from his B-complex formulations, while Peat noted synthetic vitamins can be allergenic due to contaminated chemicals.

### How does vitamin B12 relate to homocysteine and nerve health?

B12 is essential in the methylation pathway that processes methionine and eliminates homocysteine, and a deficiency is associated with subacute combined degeneration, a demyelinating condition affecting the brain's white matter.

## Related concepts

- [Methionine](https://bioenergeticoracle.com/md/concepts/methionine/index.md)
- [Biotin](https://bioenergeticoracle.com/md/concepts/biotin/index.md)
- [Cellular respiration](https://bioenergeticoracle.com/md/concepts/cellular-respiration/index.md)
- [Chronic Fatigue Syndrome](https://bioenergeticoracle.com/md/concepts/chronic-fatigue-syndrome/index.md)
- [Eczema](https://bioenergeticoracle.com/md/concepts/eczema/index.md)
- [Estrogen-serotonin axis](https://bioenergeticoracle.com/md/concepts/estrogen-serotonin-axis/index.md)

## Cited passages

Passage numbers match the `[Source N]` markers in the synthesis above.

### Source 1 — Herb Doctors: Nitric Oxide, Nitrates, Nitrites, And Fluoride

Ray Peat · Interview · Dec 18, 2015 · http://l-i-g-h-t.com/files/nitric-oxide-nitrates-nitrites-and-fluoride-kmud-2015..mp4

> **Ray Peat:** I always recommend eggs and liver as the easiest way to get both trace minerals and vitamins. But you can look at food charts and find things that are not necessarily as good. But you can put together a diet with a high content of certain vitamins. Vitamin B2 is one that I've seen lot of serious deficiencies; people with red noses, rosacea, nose bleeds, some mood problems for memory and such. You can’t use oxygen if you’re deficient in Vit B2. But besides the fact that the synthetics are so allergenic for a lot of people, if you take up a very large amount (some of the pills have 50 or 100mg in each tablet), it can reach the level in your skin and your eyes where it sensitizes you to the sunlight. Even blue light will react with riboflavin in your eyes and skin, causing free radical change.
>
> **Andrew Murray:** What kind of dosage would you recommend for vitamin B2?
>
> **Ray Peat:** Fibrotin.
>
> **Andrew Murray:** Instead vitamin B2 vitamins are water soluble vitamins not something like you can stored, probably more easily become deficient and very quickly do we have another caller? The last caller mentioned calcium, I know you’re a big proponent of milk, cheese, dairy products in general. Are there any other sources for a good supply of calcium?

### Source 2 — Ray Peat Email Advice Depository — Post 267

Ray Peat · Email · Sep 1, 2016

> **Question:** Answer to a question asking about a bad reaction to methylfolate and methyl B12:
>
> **Ray Peat:** I think it's risky to supplement methyl donors in substantial quantity, such as choline, betaine, methionine, and S-adenosylmethionine. The amount of methyl in that form of B12 is so tiny that I think it's more likely an allergic reaction; folic acid is allergenic too, and the slightly different manufacturing processes could account for different reactions to different products.

### Source 3 — Ask the Herb Doctor: Progesterone vs Estrogen, Listener Questions (Part 2)

Ray Peat · Interview · May 18, 2018

> ## B-Vitamins: Dosage and Safety
>
> **Caller:** And B12?
>
> **Ray Peat:** If you eat animal products, and because intestinal bacteria make a lot of it, you usually have enough. I hear from people with small intestine inflammation (SIBO) who have B12 levels 50% higher than normal because their bacteria are thriving where they shouldn't be.

### Source 4 — Safe Supplements with Ray Peat [Generative Energy #31]

Ray Peat · Interview · Jul 19, 2020

> ## Nutrient Deficiencies and Case Studies
>
> **Danny Roddy:** Basically, it's endless what could be considered a deficiency—any kind of abnormal behavior?
>
> **Ray Peat:** A friend had a four-year-old kid who would have violent tantrums every afternoon and wake up screaming with a nosebleed at night. We made cookies with 10 milligrams of Vitamin B2. He ate them that afternoon, slept through the night without the nightmare or nosebleed, and never had those horrible tantrums again.
>
> **Danny Roddy:** What are your thoughts on the versatility of the body? Does it need everything every day?
>
> **Ray Peat:** Someone did experiments on rats using the cornea to test Vitamin B2 deficiency. They found that the mitochondria were essentially collapsed or structurally changed so that they no longer would take up Vitamin B2 when it was given. Your nutritional requirements depend on your parents, your grandparents, and every generation before that. Something that makes your mother low in thyroid or high in estrogen during your gestation sets a pattern that will greatly increase your requirements.

### Source 5 — Ray Peat Email Advice Depository — Post 6

Ray Peat · Email · Jan 16, 2013

> ## Thread 7
>
> **Question:** Do you think pure USP B vitamins, like niacinamide or b1 , are safe?
>
> **Ray Peat:** Because of individual sensitivities, each one should be tested carefully. Allergic reactions sometimes show up within a few minutes of contacting your mouth, other times it takes a couple of days to see a bad reaction. The worst one is B2, folic acid is next for allergies. B1, pantothenic acid , niacinamide and B6 are pretty safe.

### Source 6 — Episode 8: Georgi Dinkov (Haidut) on Vitamins and Their Dosing

Georgi Dinkov · Interview · Jul 4, 2020 · https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMWKzUA1cu8

> **Georgi Dinkov:** And the second type of people are pregnant women, in whom it is known that giving folic acid leads to lowering the risk of birthing a baby with neurological damage. These are the only two groups of people in whom folic acid may have some rationale for being used as a supplement. For the rest I would not risk it. Simply because of these studies showing that it is associated with cancer and the fact that there is an anticancer drug that works on the principle of blocking the effect of folic acid. Vitamin B12 is the same way. The only people who need vitamin B12 are people who have so-called pernicious anemia. And in these people it is needed then, because this anemia is caused by that. It is a very specific disease, but for most people vitamin B12 can be synthesized by the bacteria that live in the gastrointestinal tract. And in most people there is no need for extra vitamin B12 intake. And as with folic acid, vitamin B12 already has some studies linking it. High levels of vitamin B12 are associated with several kinds of cancer, especially cancer of the colon, liver, and even pancreas. And under that circumstance, this is the reason that Energin has no folic acid and vitamin B12, and in this way you can look at, if you buy a product that imitates ours, because I have justified why these two vitamins are not there, and it is a quite unique combination. If you buy a vitamin B complex on the market, usually they stuff all the B vitamins inside, and usually in one and the same dose, 50 milligrams of each or 100 milligrams of each, which shows you that there is no rationale in the design of this supplement. If you buy a supplement that does not have folic acid and vitamin B12, usually it is something that copies me, that is, copies our products. My opinion is that very specific groups of people need folic acid and B12.

### Source 7 — #13: Bioenergetic Concepts in Sport and Exercise, Fast Twitch Muscles, and Methylation in Context

Danny Roddy · Interview · Oct 6, 2019 · https://open.spotify.com/episode/1FQYkLEy0nAMYwh92J5r4F

> **Danny Roddy:** And one of the core things about methylation is getting rid of homocysteine or not producing it. Is that right?
>
> **Nick:** Yeah. So when your body metabolizes the amino acid methionine, it produces homocysteine, which can have some negative effects on your vasculature. So there are a couple of ways the body can process that. And it has... a few ways of recycling that back in to methionine or it can get rid of it through another pathway that involves sulfur. But if you're either way, if you're lacking the things that you need to metabolize it and that elevates homocysteine, that will cause a bunch of problems, especially if you're eating a lot of methionine.
>
> **Danny Roddy:** And that's like B6 and B12. I remember those being some like the, the big, like you mentioned.
>
> **Nick:** And B2. And then there are some genetic variations that, make some of those enzymes less effective. Um, but, uh, one of the reasons I thought it was, uh, it might be interesting for you is, uh, I think it does have a role with hair and, uh, I was kind of looking across some of your articles and, uh, Oh no. Uh, yeah. And just like, uh, in terms of, I think, energy metabolism is a huge faucet of that in general, but then, uh, just sort of the title of, uh, your first, first book there, hair like a Fox. Uh, as far as the Fox part, um, there's not as much good research on humans, but there's a lot of research on like the nutrients that promote, uh, like wool growth and sheep and goats for cashmere and wool and minks and everything. And essentially, hair has a very high cysteine content, which your body can make from methionine. And there are some research that, to an extent, there's almost a linear relationship between the amount of methionine and cysteine that you might feed them and the amount amount or thickness of the hair that they grow.

### Source 8 — #13: Bioenergetic Concepts in Sport and Exercise, Fast Twitch Muscles, and Methylation in Context

Danny Roddy · Interview · Oct 6, 2019 · https://open.spotify.com/episode/1FQYkLEy0nAMYwh92J5r4F

> **Nick:** Yeah, and so that was one of the other links where there's a condition called subacute combined degeneration, but it's basically just like a demyelinating condition that's often associated with B12 or methyl donor deficiencies. And so those hyperintensities are seen in that condition. And so it's something that ties that pathway of methylation to white matter hyperintensities and again to hair. And then the homocysteine as a vascular issue in terms of...
>
> **Danny Roddy:** Sorry, go ahead.
>
> **Nick:** I was just going to point out a couple of the other links, but... you had the article like the centrality of the liver and one of the biggest ways to induce sort of a fatty liver disease in animals is just making them deficient in methionine and choline and then as far as character armor like methylation have a big reduction and the g6 PDH like I you just mentioned that taking down that article on the pentose phosphate pathway but it is involved in like in cell proliferation generally which methionine supports
>
> **Danny Roddy:** Well, well, here's a question though. Could you, if you were eating a hundred grams of protein, would it really even be possible to be deficient in methionine? So I think, I don't, I don't, I don't serve to defend everything Ray is saying, but it's like, it's hard to avoid it, you know? And, and I think maybe the point just being to find a source of glycine to, or a rather gelatin to like balance it because you're not going to escape the methionine, right?

### Source 9 — Georgi Dinkov: Why Sugar Is Healthy, Cutting Calories Is Harmful, and Obesity Is A Hormonal Issue

Georgi Dinkov · Interview · Jan 26, 2023

> **Georgi Dinkov:** So as a side effect, basically kind of prevents or greatly limits the process of synthesizing fat and or storing it, in other words, getting you obese. The B vitamins are huge because essentially most of the enzymes involved in converting food to energy are actually some of the cofactors. One or more are usually from the B vitamin group. Vitamin B1, very important one. It's one of the main cofactors together with magnesium of the crucial glucose metabolizing enzyme pyruvate dehydrogenase. So if you have a deficiency of vitamin B1, which many people these days do because it tends to be excreted at higher amounts during stress, and most of the foods that we're eating these days are actually deficient in this vitamin. So we basically get this into this energetic deficiency state because we cannot process glucose beyond the step of this enzyme, for which vitamin B1 is a cofactor. Vitamin B2, another cofactor, very important for the oxidation of fats. and for the functioning of the electron transport chain complex 2, where vitamin B2 is a cofactor. Vitamin B3, niacinamide or niacin, but ultimately they are precursor to something called nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, NAD. And NAD is a cofactor for virtually the entire cascade of energetic processing enzymes, as well as many of the steroid-producing enzymes. So if you're deficient in NAD, the entire sort of everything breaks down. And in fact, severe deficiency of NAD is lethal. It used to be known as the, I think it's still known as the drug palabra. Basically, if you're severely deficient, it can actually kill you. But taking more turns out that actually can accelerate many of these processes of turning food into energy and preventing its storage of fat. There's a vitamin B3 derivative called ACP-MOX, which if you look at the molecule, it's almost identical to the vitamin B3 analog niacin sold in grocery and vitamin stores. And it's actually an approved drug for diabetes type 2.

_Generated 2026-07-20 from the Bioenergetic Oracle corpus._