As the days get colder and flu season puts friends and colleagues out of commission, it’s more important than ever to keep your immune system strong and healthy.  Whether you rely on herbal supplements, hot toddies, or Grandma’s raw egg concoction during the winter months, don’t forget that vitamins are also essential in maintaining optimal health. Vitamin deficiencies are more common than most of us realize.

Vitamin B12 ranks among the most common vitamin deficiencies, and it can significantly compromise your immune system. If you tend to get sick often or feel fatigued most of the time, a vitamin B12 injection could be exactly what you need to stay happy and healthy this winter. 

B12 Deficiency Signs

Our bodies don’t make vitamin B12, so we have to get it from the food we eat.  Animal products are a great source of B12. (Maybe that’s why Grandma’s raw-egg concoction works!) Vegans and vegetarians in particular are at risk of deficiency because they don’t eat the eggs, cheese, and meat that help maintain healthy B12 levels. People who do eat animal products can still be deficient in vitamin B12 if their bodies have trouble absorbing it due to age, excessive drinking, certain diseases and disorders, or counteractive medications. A mild B12 deficiency may just be dismissed as fatigue or low energy, but if left untreated, it may result in serious consequences. 

Signs of B12 deficiency include:

• Yellow tinge to skin

• Dizziness

• Rapid heartbeat

• Mouth ulcers

• Blurred vision

• Swollen, inflamed tongue (glossitis)

• Fatigue or weakness

• Irritability, depression, and other mood changes

• Pins and needles sensation in hands and feet

• Memory loss

• Behavioral changes

For mild deficiencies, vitamin supplements and fortified foods can often help restore adequate B12 levels, but sometimes, a vitamin B12 injection is a better option. 

Benefits of B12 injections

While many people take oral B12 supplements to fortify their diets, many others opt for vitamin shots instead. The B12 injection bypasses the digestive system, allowing for rapid replenishment and correction of B12 deficiency. The injection is also more effective than oral supplements for people with digestive B12 malabsorption issues. 

Optimum B12 levels result in a range of health benefits. Even for those with mild deficiencies, B12 shots can: 

• Boost metabolism

• Aid in weight loss

• Improve sleep

• Increase energy

• Lift mood

• Strengthen immune system 

• Decrease risk of birth defects

• Decrease risk of cardiovascular disease

B12 injections are administered into muscle tissue, providing a quick and effective treatment with numerous health benefits. 

Do B12 shots help the immune system?

The immune system is a complex network of cells and tissues that fight off foreign invaders and keep us healthy.  White blood cells play a vital role, healing wounds, removing dead and dying cells, and surrounding and absorbing pathogens before they can do damage in our bodies. A vitamin B12 deficiency can reduce the number of white blood cells, thereby weakening the immune system.  A B12 injection is the quickest way to address and correct the deficiency, and provide the immune system with the support it needs to protect you from bacteria, viruses, toxins, and other foreign bodies. 

How often should you get B12 shots?

According to the US Department of Health,  2.4 micrograms of vitamin B12 daily is enough to meet the nutrient requirements for most healthy adults. The recommendation increases to 2.6 mcg for pregnant women, and to 2.8 mcg for breastfeeding women. For B12 deficiencies, a doctor may prescribe 30-100 mcg daily for five to seven days, and then maintenance doses of 100-200 mcg monthly.  

To treat mild deficiencies or to boost immunity, monthly maintenance doses may be enough to increase energy levels, optimize metabolism, and keep the immune system strong and healthy. 

Winter is coming. Siti Med Spa can help get your immune system ready. 

At Siti Med Spa in San Diego, we offer vitamin B12 injections that can help fortify your immune system before the cold weather settles in for good. In addition to ensuring that you have the proper nourishment for fighting off illness, the B12 injections can help you head into the holiday season with more energy and a more efficient metabolism.

It’s a win-win! To find out if B12 shots are right for you, give us a call today at (619) 717-8484.