Choice of:

• Four Vitamin B-12 Injections
• Four Vitamin B-12/B-Complex Injections

B12 Injections: A Nutritional Detour

For some people, B12 injections can be more effective than ingesting supplements. Read on to learn more about this crucial option for getting your vitamins.

B12: a vitamin that helps maintain nerve cells and produce healthy red blood cells, which transport oxygen to body tissue. It's found in dairy, eggs, meat, and fish, as well as fortified cereals and yeast extracts.

Anemia: a lower-than-normal amount of red blood cells, and often the most noticeable symptom of a B12 deficiency. Other short-term symptoms can include fatigue, dizziness, shortness of breath, and constipation or diarrhea.

Intrinsic factor: a protein that helps absorb B12 via normal digestion. People who have insufficient amounts of intrinsic factor are also at risk of a B12 deficiency since the vitamin cannot be properly absorbed from simply chugging a can of multivitamins.

B12 injections: a source of B12 that can—especially for people with low intrinsic factor—be more effective than supplements. In two to three days, patients tend to see results such as a boost in red blood-cell production, increased energy, shinier hair, and a clearer complexion.

Homocysteine: an amino acid linked to increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. As B12 boosts red-cell production, it also lowers levels of homocysteine.