How Vitamin B-12 Became a Mainstay of Wellness

Dr. Libby brought his depth of knowledge to TriVita’s early TV programming.

Dr. Libby’s legacy of pioneering continues by Dr. Scott Conard

“To ‘B’ or not to ‘B’” – that was the title of an address I gave at a wellness conference in Scottsdale, Arizona recently. I was speaking, of course, about Vitamin B-12, and the event gave me the chance to review its growth from an undervalued vitamin to a recognized powerhouse in health. It also gave me the chance to recall my early involvement with TriVita® and respect for the work of Alfred Libby, M.D., the inventor of TriVita Sublingual B-12, B-6 and Folic Acid.

As you may know, Dr. Libby was a pioneer in nutrients and health, and an associate of Linus Pauling, Ph.D., the two-time Nobel Laureate and “Father of Vitamin C.” Early in his career, Dr. Libby discovered the dramatic health changes that B-12 could make, and worked for decades to raise awareness.

“We’ve given people back their lives”

Along with B-12, Dr. Libby was the “star” of the original TriVita TV infomercials beginning in 2000. It is still his original, patented formula (contained in over 11 million boxes of Sublingual B-12 sold) that has helped so many. Here, I’ve selected some of his memorable thoughts:

“We’ve given people back their lives,” Dr. Libby said. At the time, painful and expensive injections were the only way to supplement effectively with B-12. And, undiagnosed B-12 deficiency caused untold damage.

“B-12 deficiency, undiagnosed and untreated, wreaks havoc,” he declared. This “havoc” took many forms: • Moodiness • Low energy • A heart-damaging buildup of homocysteine • High cholesterol

He would talk about patients who, with Sublingual B-12, went from moodiness and lethargy to enthusiasm and energy… older people, sent to nursing homes because they were disruptive and difficult, becoming “functional human beings again”… heart patients having their blood pressure and cholesterol levels stabilized.

A key element in Dr. Libby’s Sublingual B-12 is its unique delivery system: “sublingual” means under the tongue, where the tablets dissolve and get quickly into the bloodstream. This is crucial to maximum absorption and maximum benefit.

Dramatic effects, and a change of career

In my own medical practice, I found the same kinds of patient results that Dr. Libby witnessed years before. In fact, that’s how I came to be associated with TriVita and Sublingual B-12. For years, my medical practice specialized in treating the elderly. Patients would come into my office complaining that they had no energy, felt “low” and depressed and they would beg for B-12 “shots.” After their shots they became so much more alive, so much more well, that I changed course in my career.

I founded TienaHealth to focus on preventive medicine, convinced that the way to make a difference in people’s lives was to help them get the vitamins and nutrients they need before health issues arise. After the world lost Dr. Libby in 2002, I began speaking up about Sublingual B-12 for TriVita, and am proud to continue today.

My own experience has shown me the truth of Dr. Libby’s statement: “It’s so fulfilling, so gratifying to be involved with this (Sublingual B-12)… and with the right company, TriVita.”

On his original infomercial, Dr. Libby would gesture toward the phone banks and say, “When I see the phones light up it reminds me of the song, ‘You Light Up My Life.’ That’s how I feel when I see those lights; people’s lives are lighting up.”

Having seen so many lives “light up” with Sublingual B-12, I can only say I wholeheartedly agree.

Source: TriVita VitaJournal February 2009 pg 6.