Sublingual B12 tablets are used in the treatment of vitamin B12 deficiency. Vitamin B12 deficiency has many causes, one of which is low or absent levels of intrinsic factor, a protein necessary for the absorption of vitamin B12 from the small intestine. If you suffer from low intrinsic factor, you will not be able to absorb any oral formulation of vitamin B12, including sublingual tablets.
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is important for the production of red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout the body. B12 is also important for the maintenance of the nervous system. According to the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements, good food sources of vitamin B12 include many of the animal products we consume, including poultry, fish, red meat and milk and dairy products. Once ingested, either in the diet or as a sublingual tablet, the body needs both stomach acid and intrinsic factor to facilitate the absorption of vitamin B12 from the digestive tract.
Intrinsic Factor
Intrinsic factor is a protein secreted by the stomach. B12 sublingual supplements go into the stomach, where acid and a protein called protease release the vitamin. When this happens, intrinsic factor binds with the free B12. This then helps the absorption of sublingual B12 from the small intestine. Conditions that decrease the production of intrinsic factor can decrease the levels of vitamin B12 absorbed by the intestine, leading to anemia and neuropathy. According to MedlinePlus, some causes of intrinsic factor deficiency include pernicious anemia, a condition that destroys the cells in the stomach that produce intrinsic factor; atrophic gastritis; and hormonal conditions like chronic thyroiditis.
Symptoms of Vitamin B12 Deficiency
The main conditions resulting from vitamin B12 deficiency triggered by low intrinsic factor include megaloblastic anemia and neuropathy. Symptoms of megaloblastic anemia include weakness, pale skin with blueness or cyanosis around the lips, fatigue and rapid heart rate as the heart tries to overcome the decrease in red blood cells by pumping more blood. B12 neuropathy can cause numbness and tingling of the hands and feet, loss of balance and depression. Sublingual B12 tablets can help decrease the symptoms of B12 deficiency as long as the person has adequate levels of stomach acid and intrinsic factor to facilitate the absorption of the vitamin.
B12 Supplementation
Oral B12 supplements, including sublingual B12 tablets, cannot overcome the deficiency in the production of intrinsic factor. But in cases where the deficiency is nutritional, sublingual B12 tablets can prevent the occurrence of anemia and neuropathy. The main therapy for B12 deficiency caused by intrinsic factor deficiency is B12 injections. According to MedlinePlus, monthly injections are necessary to treat B12 deficiency. If the symptoms are severe, the injections may be administered more frequently at first.
