Before prescription drugs were widely used medical doctors used B12 shots for a wide variety of health conditions. This nutrient is used in the body to maintain healthy nerves, red blood cells, increase energy production and also to create DNA. And, while it is well known to prevent certain kinds of anemia, it can also prevent many health conditions such as fatigue, depression, cardiovascular disease and insomnia.

Am I deficient?

Although B12 is generally found in all animal products such as meat, cheese, eggs and fish, it is very common to have difficulty absorbing the vitamin from these foods. The absorption depends on hydrochloric acid, an enzyme that breaks down foods, and if a person has low levels due to aging, anti-acid use or gastrointestinal imbalances it can be next to impossible to obtain the vitamin from foods. AND, if you have increased stress, your body uses more B12 to keep up with the body’s increasing demand for the changes in how your cells function.

Impact of B12 shots

The B12 shot is absorbed into a large muscle, which releases it over a period of time. This aids the body by bypassing the possible absorption challenges in the GI tract and allows for slow delivery into the body. B12 shots are virtually painless, non-toxic (due to the vitamin being water soluble) and can be done as often as 3 times per week. There are a number of proven conditions that patients use the shots for, however, the alleviation of fatigue, especially during stress, is the number one reason patients come in for these energy boosters.