VITAMIN B12 INJECTIONS
Vitamin supplements are very popular. Recently, vitamin B12 injections and infusions have become popular among healthy people who don’t appear to have a deficiency.
Advocates of this approach claim that regular injections can boost energy levels and help with weight loss and mood.
People often believe they’ll act as a safety net and help to ensure adequate nutrient intake.
Supplementing with vitamin B12 is particularly common, because deficiency is widespread.
In fact, many people regularly get injections with vitamin B12.
These are claimed to help with energy levels, brain function and weight loss, to name a few.
Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin, also known as cobalamin.
It plays a vital role in brain function and the production of DNA and red blood cells.
Chemically, vitamin B12 can exist in a number of different forms, but all of them contain the mineral cobalt.
The vitamin can be stored in the liver for a long time, so it may take a few years for a deficiency to develop.
An untreated vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to neurological problems or pernicious anemia, which occurs when your body doesn’t have enough B12 to produce the amount of red blood cells it needs.
Vitamin B12 shots are the most common way to prevent or treat a deficiency. The injections are prescribed and given intramuscularly, or into muscle.
Injections are usually given as hydroxocobalamin or cyanocobalamin. These are very effective at raising blood levels of B12 and preventing/reversing a deficiency.
POTENTIAL HEALTH BENEFITS
Given the vital roles that vitamin B12 plays in your body, a deficiency can have serious health consequences. In fact, low blood levels of the vitamin have been linked to several health problems.
BRAIN FUNCTION
Low levels of vitamin B12 have been linked to a decline in brain function. Recent reviews found that there may be a link between low blood levels and the development of dementia.
DEPRESSION
It's been suggested that there may be a link between low vitamin B12 levels and depression. It is suggested that taking the vitamin on a long-term basis could help prevent a relapse into depression.
OSTEOPOROSIS
Osteoporosis is a disease in which the loss of bone mass results in weaker bones and an increased risk of bone fractures.
Interestingly, low blood levels of vitamin B12 have been linked with reduced bone mass.
Therefore, it’s been suggested that taking vitamin B12 may reduce your risk of osteoporosis. However, studies have provided mixed results.
