In an episode of I Love Lucy, Lucy is feeling a little under the weather and decides to go to the doctor. Her best friend Ethel tells her, “Maybe you just need a liver shot or something” to fix what Lucy has described as “just feeling bleh.” It was something I specifically remembered as a kid because A) I was afraid of shots, and B) it felt like a good use of medicine to give you a shot in the arm to fix all of your “meh” woes. I’ve since learned that excess vitamin B-12, an essential part of your health and well-being, is stored in your liver, so I suspect what Ethel was likely suggesting Lucy should get was a B-12 shot.
It’s one of those things you hear about in a lot of wellness circles and accounts, but how legit is a B-12 shot? Can you just get one and suddenly feel right as rain?
What is B-12?
B-12 is a vitamin that’s especially important in your body, says Dr. Margarita Rohr, primary care physician at the Joan H. Tisch Center for Women’s Health: “It’s required for many vital processes. It’s involved in brain and nerve function, and producing red blood cells and DNA.” Basically, B-12 is doing a whole lot in your body. And when you’re deficient in it, you can experience fatigue, a depressed mood, and decreased cognitive function.
Can a B-12 shot perk you up?
It makes sense that a B-12 shot sounds like something that could perk you right up, but Rohr says if you don’t have an actual deficiency, an intramuscular injection of vitamin B-12 really isn’t going to give you any benefits. “In fact, in people who are vitamin B-12 deficient, B-12 levels can be replenished with oral supplementation. There are exceptions where an injection may be preferred, such as when there is an issue with absorbing it from the digestive tract.
If you do have fatigue and issues caused by a vitamin B-12 deficiency, your symptoms should improve after supplementation — and oral supplements are just as effective as injections. However, no evidence suggests that taking a B-12 shot or supplement will help improve your overall well-being if you aren’t deficient in the vitamin.
If you want to ensure you’re getting enough B-12, Rohr says just maintain a well-balanced diet. “People who follow a vegan or vegetarian diet may not get enough as vitamin B-12 is found in meat, chicken, seafood, dairy, and eggs,” she explains, adding, “An easy way to add more vitamin B-12 to your diet is to sprinkle nutritional yeast on your food.”
And remember that if you are experiencing a lot of fatigue, depression, and/or decreased cognitive function, reach out to your doctor. Taking an oral B-12 supplement may be just the thing you need — or an injection if digesting the vitamin is an issue.
