Vitamin B-12 is a water-soluble B vitamin, and the only water-soluble vitamin that your body stores for years. You need this vitamin for a variety of functions, including food metabolism. While you should get adequate B-12 from your diet, a deficiency may require you to wear a B-12 patch or get B-12 injections. Talk with your doctor to determine which method is best for your particular situation.
Function of B-12
Vitamin B-12 helps synthesize amino acids, the simplest form of proteins you need for brain function and tissue repair. DNA and RNA, the genetic material within cells, need B-12 for repair, as well as to make new DNA and RNA. Additionally, you need B-12 to make new red blood cells. Vitamin B-12 is generally safe at large doses, but you only require a small daily amount from your diet or supplements, 2.4 mcg.
Deficiency
Vitamin B-12 attaches to the mineral cobalt, forming a cobalamin, which is found in food proteins. Methylcobalamin and 5-deoxyadenosyl cobalamin have the highest concentrations and most bioavailability in the human body. Hydrochloric acid in your stomach releases B-12 into its free state so your small intestine can absorb it. Low levels of stomach acid or intestinal problems, such as irritable bowel syndrome, may affect the absorption of B-12, resulting in a deficiency. Following a strict vegetarian or vegan diet also puts you at risk for a B-12 deficiency, because B-12 is rich in animal foods. In these cases, your physician may recommend a B-12 patch or injection.
B-12 Shot
Your doctor may administer a B-12 shot to help get your levels up. Typically, an injection in your arm immediately absorbs into the bloodstream. B-12 shots provide as much as 1,000 mcg of B-12, and can help treat pernicious anemia, says the Linus Pauling Institute. Pernicious anemia is an autoimmune disorder that causes your body to destroy healthy cells in your stomach. When this happens, you may not be able to produce adequate stomach acid so B-12 can't break apart for absorption. This condition eventually leads to megaloblastic anemia, causing large immature red blood cells that don't have adequate B-12 for normal production. One downfall of the injection is that it puts a large dose of B-12 into your system all at once, so your body may excrete any amount you don't absorb.
B-12 Patch
The B-12 patch provides 1,000 mcg of B-12 and works in a similar way as the B-12 injection. This tiny patch goes right behind your ear, providing a stream of B-12 into your system for an entire week. When you wear the patch, B-12 goes through the epidermis and dermis directly into small blood vessels called capillaries. While the greatest benefit of the patch is a continuous flow of B-12, if you have oily skin or if you sweat a lot, it may not stick to your skin.
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