Who Should Consider Taking B12 Shots?

Vitamin B12 is one of eight different B vitamins and provides a number of benefits for the human body. The vitamin plays a key role in the maintenance and functioning of virtually all cells in the human body and also provides some of the material required for the replication of DNA. Beyond the essential role it plays with the development of cells, Vitamin B12 also helps with the body’s ability to metabolize fatty acids and its ability to produce energy.

Vitamin B12 is produced by a number of different types of bacteria, none of which live inside human beings; therefore people can only obtain the vitamin by ingesting it through various foods created by animals that do contain the appropriate types of bacteria. Despite some claims made by unscrupulous businesses trying to capitalize on this fact among vegans – people that eat no products coming from animals – no plants have been shown to contain adequate amounts of vitamin B12 to meet human dietary requirements. This has lead to many vegans taking b12 shots.

Most well nourished people receive the minimum amounts of Vitamin B12 they need naturally through eating various animal products: meats and dairy products. Further, today many other products like milk and bread are fortified with additional Vitamin B12. The human liver also stores Vitamin B12, usually enough to meet the body’s needs for several years. All of this means that Vitamin B12 deficiency is not a common problem faced by most people.

Symptoms of B12 Deficiency

Nevertheless, a deficiency can be serious when it occurs, resulting in a wide range of problems including constipation, fatigue, loss of appetite, weakness, and weight loss. In more serious cases, a deficiency of Vitamin B12 can result in megaloblastic anemia and neurological problems, such as numbness. If you have experienced any of these symptoms, you should consider if taking B12 injections is right for you.

Groups Who Should Be Concerned about B12 Deficiency

Though rare, there are certain groups that face an increased risk of Vitamin B12 deficiencies. One of these at risk groups are strict vegetarians and vegans. As noted above, the natural ingestion of Vitamin B12 comes exclusively from animal products, so strict vegans that do not ingest any foods coming from animals are at risk of a Vitamin B12 deficiency. In fact, the old stereotype of extreme vegetarians being weak and lethargic and generally unhealthy may stem from Vitamin B12 deficiency, which was far more common before many non-animal products were regularly fortified. The best option for vegans today is to eat cereals and soy products that have been fortified with Vitamin B12 or to take a b12 shot regularly.

Another group of people that face an increased risk of Vitamin B12 deficiency are people with gastrointestinal disorders or those that have undergone gastrointestinal surgery. The body’s absorption process for Vitamin B12 is extremely complex and much of it is done in the stomach by a protein known as the Intrinsic Factor. This protein is synthesized by the stomach’s gastric parietal cells, therefore if these cells have been damaged or otherwise stopped producing the Intrinsic Factor, the body fails to absorb vitamin B12 and it is simply excreted through the colon. As a result it is not uncommon for doctors to place people with gastrointestinal problems on a supplementary Vitamin B12 regimen by giving them b-12 shots regularly.

Older people are also more likely to have a Vitamin B12 deficiency if they suffer from atrophic gastritis or pernicious anemia, both of which usually affect older people. Atrophic gastritis is a condition that results in the stomach producing less hydrochloric acid than it should and as hydrochloric acid plays a key role in breaking down Vitamin B12, a lack of it may result in the vitamin being excreted instead of absorbed by the body. Pernicious anemia is another condition that primarily affects older people and stems from a lack of the Intrinsic Factor protein mentioned previously as results in the same problems.

Vitamin B12 deficiencies are not common among well nourished people; nevertheless the groups described above do face a higher risk of suffering this condition. Further, many of the symptoms of a Vitamin B12 deficiency can be masked by a large intake of folic acid, which allows the deficiency to go undetected much longer and allows it to do more damage. Therefore, if you are someone you care about falls into any of the groups described above, you should pay close attention to ensure that there is no deficiency of Vitamin B12.