You may have heard the term activated B vitamins and wondered what’s all the hype? … or maybe you’re taking activated Bs and wonder are they really better than a regular B vitamin and should I be taking them?

Helping to answer these questions involves understanding more about B vitamins in general, what they do and why they’re important for our bodies, as well as the difference between regular B vitamins and activated B vitamins.

Let’s take a look:

B complex vitamins are a collection of seven water-soluble vitamins, vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12 and folate, that play an important role in:

• Energy production
• Cell metabolism
• Red blood cell health
• Cardiovascular system health, and
• Emotional wellbeing
  
  

About B vitamins

There are three important aspects to B vitamins that you may not be aware of:

1. B vitamins are water soluble and are predominantly not stored in the body, so they require frequent replenishing in the diet
   
   
2. While similar in name, B vitamins are chemically distinct compounds that work both synergistically in the body, while still offering their own unique benefits, so you need balanced amounts of all of the B vitamins to best support general health and wellbeing
   
   
3. B vitamins require some form of metabolic or enzymatic conversion to take place before they can be useful.
   
   

Activation of a B vitamin

Each of the B vitamins are involved in energy production in the body. After being broken down from food, B vitamins circulate in the bloodstream until they undergo an activation process providing them in a form where they can be absorbed and used by the body. This process requires certain enzymes as well as good digestive and liver function.

B vitamins are predominantly not stored by the body and are quickly eliminated following ingestion, so slow conversion to their active form can mean they are eliminated from the body before they can exert maximum benefits, offering a lesser effect and potentially impacting the amount of energy they help to provide.

The way to bypass this activation step is by taking an already active form of certain B vitamins. Taking an activated B vitamin means the body does less to gain more, allowing the vitamin to be absorbed into the body quickly, meaning less is at risk of elimination.

For some, the ease at which their bodies convert B vitamins from their non-active to their active forms can be compromised by a whole range of issues including digestive health and age.

There are some individuals who may benefit from taking an activated form of a B vitamin over a non-activated form to help bypass this activation step.

Who should take an activated B vitamin?

Activated Bs may be beneficial for those who:

• consume a diet high in refined or processed foods
• have absorption or digestive issues
• are strict vegetarians or vegan
• are elderly
• have methylene-tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) polymorphisms

MTHFR polymorphisms

Activated B vitamins may be beneficial for those with MTHFR polymorphisms. The MTHFR gene is responsible for the production of the MTHFR enzyme which allows the correct metabolism of folate, responsible for a variety of metabolic and nervous system processes. Reduced MTHFR enzyme activity affects the production of methylfolate.

Methylfolate is required for:

• Maintaining brain function and health
• Supporting cognitive function and memory recall
• Supporting healthy foetal development

Activated B Vitamins

Herbs of Gold Activated B Complex provides B vitamins in their activate form. This high-quality, complex formula is available in a one-a-day, vegan-friendly capsule containing the active forms of vitamins B2, B6, folate and B12 to support energy production.

Herbs of Gold Activated B Complex is also beneficial for supporting emotional wellbeing and a healthy stress response in the body, as B vitamins play an important role in the healthy functioning of the nervous system. Herbs of Gold Activated B Complex contains folate in its active form, as methylfolate, supporting brain health and cognitive function.

The elderly, strict vegetarians and vegans are at increased risk of vitamin B12 deficiency. As part of the complete B complex, Herbs of Gold Activated B Complex also provides vitamin B12 in its active form, methylcobalamin, helping to prevent a dietary vitamin B12 deficiency.