You may dread the doctor's needle, but in some cases, an injection is the fastest and most efficient way to deliver the treatment your body needs. And, it's not always medicine that's administered this way. Certain vitamins can be directed straight into your bloodstream. Vitamin B-12 is one of them.
Dietary Sources of B-12
You're body can't make its own B-12, so you have to get enough in the foods you eat or in supplement form. If you're like most Americans, it's likely that you receive adequate amounts of vitamin B-12 through your regular eating habits. B-12 is readily available in the Western diet, as milk, eggs, meat, fish and poultry all contain this essential nutrient, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. The rare exception to this would be if you're maintaining a strict vegan diet. Vegans eschew meat and animal products in favor of plant-based foods, which do not contain B-12 unless they are fortified with added nutrients.
Failure to Absorb B-12
In some cases, you may not be absorbing enough B-12 through your gastrointestinal tract, even though you're eating foods that are rich in it. Your body uses hydrochloric acid to separate B-12 from the proteins that carry it, thus changing it into a readily absorbable form. Elderly people sometimes experience gastric atrophy, which reduces their production of hydrochloric acid, and thus their ability to absorb B-12. Pernicious anemia is another condition in which B-12 absorption is decreased, but in this case the person lacks intrinsic factor, an enzyme that promotes the absorption of B-12 into the intestinal walls. Other causes of gastric malabsorption that can affect your ability to metabolize B-12 include previous gastrointestinal surgery, alcoholism and Crohn's disease.
Injections
B-12 injections are sometimes suggested as a way of bypassing malabsorption syndromes. When B-12 is injected directly into your bloodstream, a deficit in hydrochloric acid or intrinsic factor has no effect on your ability to utilize the vitamin, which is essential for red blood cell formation, DNA synthesis and maintaining a healthy nervous system, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements.
B-12 Deficiency Symptoms
Your body stores large amounts of B-12, so it can take years for a deficiency due to dietary shortfalls or absorption failure to manifest symptoms. A prolonged or severe lack of B-12 can cause neurological symptoms, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. These include numbness or tingling in the hands and feet, and these neurological effects can extend to the brain, causing confusion, memory loss and dementia. B-12 deficiency also causes megaloblastic anemia, a condition wherein red blood cell production is decreased, and the existing red blood cells are often immature and over-sized. Megaloblastic anemia is characterized by symptoms such as fatigue and weakness. Consult your doctor if you are concerned about B-12 deficiency.
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