Have you seen the infomercial for TriVita Sublingual vitamin B-12? TriVita is actually the name of a company that makes several dietary supplements. The infomercial I saw was on sublingual B-12, so I want to review this product here. I will take a look at TriVita supplements in the future. Sublingual means you put the supplement under the tongue where it dissolves and enters the blood through glands under the tone. This bypasses the stomach for quick absorption.
TriVita B12 is actually actually composed of 3 main vitamins:
TriVita B12
- vitamin B12 (of course)
- vitamin B 6
- Folic acid (another B vitamin)
Since these are all vita-mins and there are 3 of them, now you know where they got the name Tri-Vita.
It turns out that there are two types of TriVita sublingual B12. The original version and “Super TriVita Sublingual B12“. The difference is that the “super” version also has a little ginseng, coconut and alpha keto gluterate. I will review these in a separate post because they warrant special attention.
Another supplement made by TriVita is Nopalea cactus juice. Ads for Nopalea say it reduces inflammation. I reviewed the evidence for Nopalea and found an interesting fact about it reducing inflammation.
Vitamin B12 is unique because it’s only found in meats, poultry and fish. As I like to say “any food that had a mother” has vitamin B12.
All of the B vitamins help us make energy from food. Vitamin B 12 in particular has gotten a reputation as an “energy vitamin” because it’s needed to make red blood cells. Red blood cells (RBCs) carry oxygen through the blood. So, if you were deficient in B12, you would have problems making red blood cells. This causes anemia. One of the signs of anemia is being tired. Hence, its reputation to help energy levels.
Have you noticed how much vitamin B12 is in energy drinks? People think if they have more B 12 that they will have more energy. That’s not necessarily true. For more info on energy drinks read my 5 hour energy review. as well as 6 Hour Power and see how much vitamin B 12 those drinks have!
Vitamin B12 supplements are probably a good idea in older adults and vegetarians. Older adults sometimes lose the ability to absorb vitamin B 12. Vegetarians, because they don’t eat foods that contain vitamin B12, don’t get a lot of it in their diet.
TriVita Sublingual B12 contains 1000 micrograms (mcg) of B12. This is 16,667% of the RDA. Some research on vitamin B12 and older adults find that only about 100 mcg can help.
Remember that even though vitamin B12 is a water soluble vitamin, we store massive amounts in our body. It can take a few years before healthy people run out of vitamin B12.
Like all vitamins, B12 has many effects in the body. Some wonder if there is a connection between vitamin B12 and weight loss.
Folic acid is found in fruits and vegetables, so vegetarians are probably getting enough already. Folic acid is also needed to make red blood cells. So, those who don’t take a multivitamin or eat fruits and vegetables may not be getting enough.
Most people do not know that folic acid is the synthetic form of the B vitamin. The natural form – found in fruits and vegetables – is called folate.
Supplements contain folic acid (and not folate) because we absorb it better. People need to know that high levels of folic acid supplements (but not folate) may have some bad side effects. For more info, see Folic Acid 3 Facts You Don’t Know.
TriVita sublingual B12 has 5 mg of vitamin B6. That’s 250% of the RDA. I think that is a lot considering this vitamin is found in many foods people commonly eat.
Vitamin B 6, B 12 and folic acid may reduce blindness. This may be one reason these vitamins are combined in this supplement. Vitamin B6 might also help PMS symptoms but the amount used is often more than what is in TriVita. That’s not necessary a bad thing because very amounts of B6 might make PMS worse.
B6, B12 and folic acid are also sometimes marketed for heart health. All of these vitamins reduce homocysteine, a compound the makes blood sticky. High homocysteine in the blood may increase heart attack risk. However several studies have found lowering homocysteine does not lower heart attack risk.
TriVita B12 also contains biotin but it’s not mentioned specifically in the infomercial. When people hear about biotin, they often think about thinning hair. Biotin is added to many shampoos for this reason. Biotin deficiency may be linked to thinning hair as well as diabetes – two issues that crop up as we grow older. So adding biotin to TriVita does, in theory, makes some sense.
Is TriVita sublingual B12 better than other sublingual B12 supplements? TriVita B12 costs about $20-$25 depending on where you get it. But why?
Vitamin B12 is a pretty cheap vitamin. Just look at how much B12 is in energy drinks, which cost about $2 a can. There are also several sublingual B12 supplements that cost less than TriVita. TriVita B12 may be a more quality supplement but I don’t see any studies on the TriVita website showing that it is superior to other sublinqual supplements.
What do you think of TriVita B12?
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
TriVita’s company name originates from two Latin words: Tri (meaning three) and Vita (meaning life). It refers to three aspects of life: the physical, the emotional, and the spiritual. TriVita feels that, in order to have complete wellness, they are the three components that should be addressed and kept healthy.
As an independent TriVita affiliate, I have seen the positive effects that TriVita’s Super Sublingual B-12 has had on countless people, including myself. It has proven to be the best B-12 supplement I have ever witnessed to provide the necessary components to assist people in acquiring wellness and energy.
Most people do not eat as healthy as it would take for them to receive enough of the benefits that Super Sublingual B-12 provides. For instance, each tablet contains 3000 mcg of B-12 (cyanocobalamin and methylcobalamin) alone, which is 50,000% of the daily value. By taking this product, you are receiving the same benefits that you would get from an actual B-12 shot. And B-12 is only one of the necessary components that makes Super Sublingual B-12 a superior product. For instance, the Korean Ginseng Powder has proven to be very effective in providing people with an improved ability to concentrate throughout their day. I have personally spoken with people who are simply amazed that they are able to focus in a way that they thought they would never be able to again.
Super Sublingual B-12 is not only for older people. I have heard from people whose children and young adults in school are now able to concentrate, resulting in better grades. Adults of all ages have reported to me that after taking Super Sublingual B-12, they have renewed energy and have an ability to focus in a much improved way.
As far as the price of the product, you get what you pay for. Certainly there are other B-12 supplements on the market, but I have found TriVita’s product to be superior to the others. At $22.99 for a box of 30 tablets, that is a very small investment in your quality of life for a product that I know absolutely works. I know the strict standards that TriVita follows and I feel confident that I am taking the best B-12 supplement available. Plus, it is delivered to your home, which maintains its freshness. When anyone purchases supplements from a store, it is unknown how long the product has been sitting on the shelf and the conditions to which the product has been exposed.
TriVita now has another product you can see in a televised infomercial. Nopalea infomercials have been aired since December 2009, and the results have been phenomenal. I have witnessed countless people getting relief from a great variety of illnesses, conditions and diseases by drinking this amazing wellness drink, and reducing inflammation in the body.
Susan Dorety Dwyer
Susan thanks for your comments. The first time I heard of TriVita it was in an infomercial promoting a product that contained B6, B12 and folic acid. Since there there were 3 vitamins in this product I took this to mean that this was the main and original product TriVita marketed.
Vita does mean “life” as you say – In fact, it is where the name vitamin comes from. Vitamin used to be spelled Vita-Amine.
Since you are a TriVita affiliate can you point me to any published peer reviewed studies on TriVita supplements? I could not find any in my investigation.
Joe,
Thank you for your response.
I invite you to visit TriVita’s website. You can view research articles there.
Also, TriVita has published studies performed at the University of Connecticut for Nopalea before it was offered to the public. When you have time, please visit my own independent website that was in my first response. I have a lot of information there about Nopalea. As a Director with TriVita, I have had the privilege of helping countless people discover the amazing benefits of this remarkable wellness drink. Nothing is better than helping someone improve their quality of life! Since you are a self proclaimed supplement geek, you need to look into it because I feel you will be pleasantly surprised. : )
Thank you,
Susan
Hi Susan, I looked at the TriVita link you gave me but I did not see any section of the website that showed me published peer reviewed research on TriVita supplements.
To double check, I looked at pub med also, searching for “TriVita” and “Nopalea” and I did not find any published studies.
I appreciate your zest for helping people, it’s a reason that gets me out of bed in the morning also.
Says Joe to the pusher!
Gotta love you man…We do!!!!
I looked on the TriVita website too; it shouldn’t be that hard to find any research. I just started selling Juice Plus, and the research links are on their website for anyone to see.
I just inquired about their research last night. According the the customer service rep, they do not publish any research. She informed me that there has been enough research done on vitamins and their effects, so I should just google the ingredients.
I just started taking a few of their supplements, as one of my peers recommended them. I took the EnergyNow, and I did notice a big increase in my energy (I haven’t had enough sleep with this time change). Only time will tell if it actually has staying power!
I am not a fan of MLM’s for the most part. I am a doctor, so I recommend supplements to my patients often. So far, my impression of TriVita is that they are over-priced, but I’ll continue to try them for a while. I wish there was published research.
Hailey, their response to research is interesting and I share your wish for published research. I looked up Energy Now for you and while I dont think the vitamins in the supplement are responsible for the energy increase you observed, their proprietary blend does contain things like green tea and coco bean extract which might have caffeine. It also has tyrosine and taurine which may also improve mental clarity. Taruine in particular is often found in energy drinks for this reason.
One thing I have notice is that Trivita B-12 has the methyl. form of B12, whereas most drug store sublingual supplements only have the Cyanoc. B-12. According to the the following article, the methyl. type is more effective. You get what you pay for.
Mayer, G., et al., “Effects of Vitamin B12 on Performance and Circadian Rhythm in Normal Subjects,” Neuropsychopharmacology, 15 (November 1996): 456-464.