B12 Injections: What All the Buzz Is About
What is vitamin B12?
Vitamin B12 is one of the most important nutrients our body requires to maintain optimal health. It is necessary for a large variety of functions, including supporting detoxification, fat and carbohydrate metabolism, as well as building and maintaining the health of our red blood cells and nerves.
What are the symptoms of a B12 deficiency?
If we are deficient in B12 we are likely to experience a myriad of symptoms ranging from shortness of breath, dizziness, anxiety/depression, and fatigue to a generalized sense of weakness, cognitive complaints, difficulty losing weight, and numbness and tingling.
What causes a B12 deficiency?
Because B12 is an essential vitamin that our body cannot produce on its own, in order to have adequate levels of B12 we must ensure that we are able to extract what we need from the food we consume and the supplements we take.
1. Diet. B12 is only found in animal-based products so those who adhere to a vegetarian or vegan diet are at higher risk of developing a deficiency.
2. Compromised gastrointestinal health. Those who have gastrointestinal disorders (i.e. Crohns, Celiac) have trouble absorbing the nutrients they take in through their diet and are therefore at risk of developing a deficiency. Those who consume alcohol in large amounts regularly are also likely to be B12 deficient.
3. Decreased absorption. B12 is the only vitamin that requires a protein (called intrinsic factor) in order to absorb B12. Those who have an autoimmune condition called pernicious anemia are not able to produce this protein and thus unable to absorb B12. Further, our ability to produce this protein declines as we age so the elderly are at greater risk of developing a B12 deficiency.
4. Certain medications. Medications like proton pump inhibitors, the birth control pill, and Metformin block the absorption of B12.
How to diagnose a B12 deficiency
While you can measure B12 levels in the blood to determine if your levels are sufficient or not, a normal lab result doesn’t automatically mean that you have adequate levels. Because a high percentage of B12 is stored in the liver, a person can have symptoms associated with a B12 deficiency and yet have a normal lab value. In acknowledgment of this, it is always best to review symptoms alongside labs and determine whether supplementing with B12 makes sense.
How to treat a B12 deficiency
Consuming more animal-based products such as meat, chicken, seafood, dairy, and eggs is one way to naturally boost your B12 levels. For those who adhere to a vegan or vegetarian diet, supplementation will be necessary.
When supplementing with B12, it is best to use a sublingual form because it is more highly absorbable and bypasses the digestive system. Those who have known gastrointestinal disorders, chronic symptoms of abdominal bloating, constipation, or diarrhea, pernicious anemia, or low stomach acid will have issues with absorption and should instead consider B12 injections which allow for the highest absorption of B12 into your system. The good news is that there are no real concerns about having too much B12. B12 is a water-soluble vitamin which means that any excess amount that you consume will be excreted safely via your urine without any negative impact on your health.
The benefits of B12 injections
Vitamin B12 shots are the most effective way to prevent or treat a deficiency. This route of administration ensures that your body is getting the number of nutrients that it needs to support the optimal functioning of our organ systems. When deficient, individuals can experience improvements in their energy levels, motivation, metabolism, mood, sleep, exercise performance, and cognitive function within weeks, if not days, after receiving a B12 injection.