If you have tingling in your fingers or toes, white spots on your skin or extreme fatigue, you may be Vitamin B12 deficient. Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin which is essential to your health. It helps red blood cells to function properly and iron to be absorbed. To help control moods and support your immune functions, the vitamin works with folate to produce SAMe, an amino acid. Vitamin B12 is also a very important part of Naturopathic and natural medicine.
What is a Vitamin B12 deficiency?
A Vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to pernicious and megaloblastic anemia. The symptoms of anemia are varied from weakness, paleness and weight loss to memory loss. Pernicious anemia occurs in 1 to 2 percent of older adults and is a lifelong condition. It can be treated by high doses of B12 injections.
B12 shots are a natural medicine and can also be used to help people with Chronic Fatigue. It may take several injections by your Naturopath Doctor to see improvement. Your naturopath uses B12 injections to increase your energy and feeling of alertness which also improves your sleep patterns. These improvements happen because when B12 is absorbed by the body through injections, the B12 helps the body to form red blood cells. The vitamin also helps to maintain your nervous and cardiovascular systems.
Why are there Vitamin B12 deficiencies?
Meat, poultry, fish, dairy products and eggs naturally contain Vitamin B12. The problem is some people have difficulty absorbing it from animal products. If your hydrochloric acid levels in your stomach are low, then absorbing B12 may be a problem. Also if you have bacteria that are associated with stomach ulcers, there could also be an absorption problem. When B12 is injected directly, it bypasses the digestive system. It goes directly to where it’s needed . Some people lack an intrinsic factor (especially those on vegan diets) which is a substance which is needed to absorb B12 when taken into the mouth and through the digestive system. When they receive an injection, B12 is immediately available to their body through the bloodstream, however.
The end result is that when you receive an injection of B12 instead of taking a supplement, far more is delivered into your system. The shots are not painful, you get the energy boost your body is craving, and you’ll feel better faster.