Cyanide in vitamin pills

[gelati3]

Last week, I read an article which stated that some vitamin B12 supplements contain cyanocobalamin, cyano being cyanide and that how this can, over time, affect brain tissue. My vitamin pack (said to be for use through pregnancy and breastfeeding) lists cyanocobalamin in the list of ingredients. E-mailed the vitamin company asking for a response to my concern but have not yet had a reply. Have stopped taking the pills. The company producing the vitamins is British so presumably they are safe but I would like to hear your thoughts.

Where did you find this article?

Good grief, this is worrying

What is the amount of cyanide released? Saying it could affect brain tissue is quite a nebulous statement - many things could affect brain tissue tbh

Pigletjohn, it was from Easy Health Options- they send out news e-mails.

I don't know how much cyanide is released. Would like to get some answers.

A brief google suggests the amount of cyanide is a very small percentsge of the lethal amount - this suggests 1000 microgram cyanocobalamin would have 0.06% of lethal amount.

The amount of cyanide contained in a 1000mcg B12 pill is 0.6% of the amount you would have to take to have any kind of toxic effect, and about 0.06% of the amount you would have to take for a potential lethal dose. (that'd be 2000 pills in one go - cyanide can cause acute toxicity, but not chronic). This is from a quick googling.

I seriously expect we are exposed to similar small quantities of potentially toxic substances in everyday life just being around cars for example, eating processed food or sitting on sofas treated with flame-retardants. Another quick googling reveals that low levels of cyanide are present in apricots, almonds, cassava and various beans, so probably even home-cooked unprocessed food contains this kind of stuff - it is a naturally occurring substance after all.

I would really not worry about this.

Cyanocobalamin is vitamin B12

The stuff that kills you is IIRC potassium cyanide. I do not know what is the relationship between these two substances whose names share some letters.

What was the point of the article or newsletter you read? Was it written by a person with any pharmacological knowledge?