B-12 Injections Help With Weight Loss: Here’s Why
If you’re trying to lose weight, you probably know how difficult – and discouraging – it can be to shed those pounds even when you’re following a healthy diet and exercise program. That’s because while diet and exercise are essential for losing weight and keeping it off, sometimes your body – and specifically your liver – needs a “boost” to ensure it’s breaking down fats as efficiently as possible in order to really shed that extra weight. And vitamin B-12 injections are one of the best ways to do just that.
B-12 and Metabolism
Vitamin B-12 is one of eight major B vitamins (all of which collectively comprise vitamin B complex). B-12 plays a significant role in metabolism for all the cells of your body, helping cells get the energy they need to function properly. And most importantly for people looking to lose weight, B-12 has an especially strong “influence” over the metabolism of fat, “ramping up” fat metabolism so more fat is converted into energy and used by the body (which means less fat is stored in fatty tissues).
Vitamin B-12 is found naturally in some of the foods we consume, most notably seafood and meat, as well as foods that are fortified with the vitamin. B-12 binds with the proteins in these foods, and once the foods are ingested, acids in the stomach break the bonds and release B-12 into the digestive tract.
The liver stores B-12 and uses it to break down fats and other substances. When B-12 levels are low, the liver’s ability to break down and process fats declines, which means more fat is stored in the tissues. B-12 depletion is especially common in people who don’t eat much (or any meat), in people with certain chronic diseases including bowel problems.
The Benefits of B-12 Injections for Weight Loss
One of the problems of B-12 absorption and maintaining adequate amounts for optimal metabolism is that sometimes, B-12 isn’t absorbed properly by the bloodstream. For instance, people who have issues like inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, celiac disease and “leaky gut” may not be able to absorb enough of the vitamin through their intestines. In these cases, simply increasing the amount of B-12-rich foods or taking an oral B-12 supplement usually won’t help. On the other hand, vitamin B-12 injections deliver the vitamin directly to the bloodstream, bypassing the digestive system entirely. That means more B-12 is able to reach the liver where it’s available to break down fats.
Even when your intestine is healthy, the digestive processes can still have a major influence on how much B-12 is available for metabolism. Optimizing B-12 by delivering it directly to the bloodstream can be very effective in ensuring the liver has an ample supply of the vitamin so fat metabolism is as efficient as possible.
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If you’re trying to lose weight, making sure your body is as healthy as possible is important not only for getting the best results, but also for making sure you don’t wind up with nutritional deficiencies that can take a toll on your overall health. To learn more about vitamin B-12 injections and to find out about diet plans designed for your lifestyle and your health and medical needs, call Dr. Weight Loss of Atlanta at 770-330-4214 and schedule a consultation today.
