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Medical Chandler

Vitamin B12 Injections

Why is Vitamin B12 Important?

Vitamin B12 is one of a group of eight vitamins designated as B- vitamins. they are water-soluble, which means they are not stored in the body, but are eliminated through urine or feces.

Vitamin B12 is used by virtually every one of the 100 trillion cells in the body, and none of the uses are trivial.

  • In red blood cells, which carry oxygen to tissues and waste carbon dioxide away, B12 is necessary to make the hemoglobin which holds oxygen.
  • In nerve cells, B12 is used for several aspects of nerve function including making myelin (responsible for high- speed nerve signal conduction).
  • In the brain, it is responsible for making the neurotransmitters needed for proper cognition and memory.
  • In every cell, B12 is used in the synthesis of DNA


    • B12, technically called cobalamin, occurs in meat, fish, eggs and milk. It is not found in fruits or nut, so people who eat a vegetarian diet are usually deficient.

    Which Medical Conditions Contribute to B12 Deficiency?

    When B12 is ingested, it is attached to a protein made in the stomach called Intrinsic Factor. Without Intrinsic Factor B12 cannot be absorbed. This leads to a deficiency.

    People who have stomach or intestinal disease or past surgery may be at increased risk of a B12deficiency, as are strict vegetarians and vegans. The nursing baby of a vegetarian or vegan is also likely to have low B12.

    Medical conditions may interfere with Intrinsic Factor B12 absorption. •Atrophic Gastritis
    •Crohn’s and Celiac (IBS or IBD)
    •Peptic Ulcer Disease
    •Stomach or Intestinal Surgery

    Some medications also interfere with B12 such as long-term antibiotics, antacids, ulcer medication, and some diabetes medications.

    What makes One Form of B12 Better?

    When manufactured for supplementation the cobalamin molecule is nearly always attached to another molecule to resist immediate filtering in the kidneys.

    Some makers attach cobalamin to a cyano-molecule (sounds like it might be related to cyanide, doesn’t it?). This is called cyanocobalamin and is, frankly, a cheap version. Other makers attach the cobalamin to a hydroxyl molecule (the OH in HOH) which is intended for IV administration only.

    Still other makers attach the cobalamin molecule to a methyl group, forming methylcobalamin. As it turns out, the body uses methylcobalamin, and any other form must be converted. We choose to use methylcobalamin in our treatments.

    Sometimes, a maker will mix methylcobalamin with several other compounds (abbreviated MIC) to create a fat-burning agent. We have these, too.

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