After a couple of false starts, I am starting Round 3 of the HCG Diet again. This start is a little different from the previous two because I am tweaking one of the conditions. I ran into a little trouble with veganism. I had some low moods with low vitality that may have been related to a B-12 deficiency. B-12 is the one nutrient that vegans do not get in sufficient quantity in their food. Animal products provide B-12, but it isn’t the actual animal products in which it is found. It’s found in the bacteria that grows in those animal products.
I was taking a multi that included B-12, but it was an inferior form that is less effective. Apparently, there is more than one form of B-12 used in supplements. The form used in the supplement that I was taking was cyanocobalamin. This is an artificial form that does not occur in nature. Also, the cyano- prefix stands for cyanide. They make the stuff with cyanide! Imagine that. Cyanocobalamin is the form most commonly used in supplements. Methylcobalamin is the specific form of B-12 needed for nervous system health. It is better absorbed and retained in higher amounts within the tissues. In simple terms, the body uses it much more effectively.
I was happy to discover that methylcobalamin is the form used in vitacost.com’s NSI brand of supplements. That they would choose to use methylcobalamin instead of cyanocobalamin is an indication of their concern for quality supplementation in general. Their NSI Synergy Basic Multi-Vitamin Version 3 costs more than what I have been taking, but it also includes CoQ10, which I’ve been taking as a separate supplement. The net total cost of supplementation will actually be lower.
So what does all of this have to do with the HCG Diet? When I was using pharmaceutical HCG as sublingual drops, the formula included a liquid B-12 supplement. B-12 has benefits that aid weight loss including increased metabolism and increased energy. B-12 also helps fight stress and depression. Since B-12 was part of the formula used in Rounds 1 and 2, it could well be a major factor in the efficacy of those rounds. My previous attempts at Round 3 without it were not successful. Since the homeopathic HCG does not include B-12, I plan to take it as a separate supplement to see if it is easier to do this homeopathic HCG round with it. Besides, as a near-vegan, I really need to be taking a quality B-12 supplement anyway. Hopefully, I’ll have a much better time of it.
By the way, for those making pharmaceutical HCG sublingual drops, vitacost.com sells
NSI Vitamin B-12 Methylcobalamin Raspberry Flavor, which should work well in the sublingual formula.