Are Vitamin B12 shots good or bad?

Are Vitamin B12 shots good or bad? Vitamin B injections are considered safe as there are no major side effects to this. In some rare cases there can be an occasional allergic reaction or sensitivity to it. If you do experience any side effects, it is best to contact your doctor.

Are Vitamin B12 shots good or bad? Photo credit: iStock-GrafiThink

You would only need a Vitamin B injection if you don’t get enough Vitamin B through whole foods meaning through what you eat regularly. The daily recommended intake of Vitamin B-12 is 6 micrograms per day. The deficiency of B-12 is common among vegans and vegetarians because of their diet. And research studies show that 90% of people following these diets have a deficiency.

A Vitamin B injection always needs to be prescribed by a doctor and nobody else.  If you are low on Vitamin B-12 these are some of the symptoms, you can experience which is:

• A decline in brain function and depression. There are studies that link deficiency in Vitamin B to depression.
• A decline in bone density will put you at high risk of osteoporosis. There are studies that link reduced mass to Vitamin B12.
• Vision loss can lead to age related macular degeneration.

Vitamin B-12 is found in animal foods and fortified foods. Here are some good food sources of Vitamin B-12 which is:

• Liver
• Canned Salmon
• Milk
• Eggs
• Beef Kidney
• Chicken
• Ground Beef

There is some research that has shown that Vitamin B supplements are just as effective as Vitamin B injections.  Vegetarians and vegans are typically advised to take 10 mcg per day or 2000 mcg once per week.

The Bottom Line is if you eat a well-balanced healthy diet you don’t need to take Vitamin B injections or Vitamin B supplements. If you are vegan and vegetarian, you will most likely be deficient in Vitamin B and you would you need to take an additional supplement to counteract that.

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