Vitamin B12 Injections and B12 Shots: Their Impact on B12 Deficiency

Have you been considering vitamin B12 shots for increasing your nutrient levels? If you’ve been diagnosed with vitamin B12 deficiency, or have been following a vegetarian diet, then in all probability you’ll be advised to take B12 injections or shots. They will supplement your deficient vitamin levels efficiently and quickly. However, as these methods of increasing vitamin B12 have some side effects, it’s important to weigh their pros and cons before starting on them.

Primary Role of Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 has a significant role to play when it comes to keeping your red blood cells and nerves in the prime of health. Most importantly, and as to how Patch MD explains it, vitamin B12 helps in the formation of DNA to prevent your body from malfunctioning in any way. Vitamin B12 supplements are particularly important for neurological health and brain function. They also support oxygen transportation to enable the healthy formation of red blood cells in the body.

Other Roles of Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is important for the generation of DNA and RNA that have the genetic code for consistent cell reproduction in their core. The vitamin prevents the onset and spread of megaloblastic anemia that makes people feel lethargic, tired, or weak. It also serves as a critical co-factor for supporting the enzymes of over 100 crucial enzymes in the body.

Health Benefits of Vitamin B12

It is important to determine the importance of B12 for your health before you reach out to Vitamin B12 injections or shots. This nutrient acts as co-factor in reactions that are responsible for converting homocysteine into methionine. Methionine, an essential amino acid, takes care of several fundamental aspects of human health like fat metabolism, DNA synthesis, hormone control, and protein balancing. The human body requires vitamin B12 for facilitating the small chemical reactions required for the generation of methionine.

Vitamin B12 Deficiency – A Closer Look

Vitamin B12 deficiency is found to vary in line with dietary habits, ethnicity, and age group. In the US alone, over 6 percent of people aged less than 60, along with 20 percent of those the age 60 years and above, are found deficient in this vitamin. Dietary habits play an important part in the maintenance of nutrient levels. Those following a vegan or vegetarian diet are found to suffer from B12 deficiency in a more pronounced way than others. This because the primary sources of vitamin B12 are eggs, meat, and dairy products. The risks pertaining to vitamin B12 deficiency are quite high in those taking antibiotics or medications that lead to changes in stomach acid composition.

The food ingested by the body has to be broken down to absorb the vitamin, this is an important part of the digestion process. Next, B12 combines with the ‘intrinsic factor’; it’s a type of protein manufactured in the stomach. Yet another cause of vitamin B12 deficiency is Crohn's disease that disallows patients to absorb the adequate amount of B12 into their system.

Delivery Means of Vitamin B12

It’s possible to consume vitamin through food, supplements, and in the form of B12 injections. In case you’re eating enough dairy products and meat then it’s likely that you are getting your requisite share of the vitamin from food sources. However, vegans may have to consider B12 injections and mother supplementation to avoid a situation of deficiency that may lead to various health problems. It’s also beneficial to start taking vitamin B12 supplements in case you have an ethnic background or belong to an at-risk age group.

What are Vitamin B12 Shots?

Vitamin B12 injections can be termed as high dose shots of B12. They are very helpful for elevating the blood levels of people deficient in this nutrient. The injections cannot be administered without a prescription. To begin with, they need to be injected into muscle tissues on alternate days for two weeks; or till any improvement is detected in the symptoms. Post this stage of B12 shots, the injections are to be administered every 1-3 months. The frequency of the shots would be dependent on the medical history and age of the patient in the reckoning.

Risks Vs Benefits of B12 Shots

The advantages of taking B12 shots are improved metabolism, better control of moods and depression, lower risks of chronic diseases, healthy hair, clearer skin, pain relief, and more. The downside to vitamin B12 shots is that some people may have to handle its compliance issues. Given the many benefits of Vitamin B12 injections and B12 energy patches, you may want to try them to handle the issues of this nutrient’s deficiency.