B12 vitamin shots have been the preferred method among doctors for treating vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms for many long years. My father gave me a call yesterday, telling me that he’s now working with some old man who has been a complete vegan since he was a little child, and recently started taking vitamin B12 injections.
My father knew what he was doing, he knows I have been doing a lot of study over B12 in the last years. And so I contacted the old man, whose name is Eli. Before you read our conversation, I want you to consider the fact that it’s just ONE SINGLE case study, which you really should not base any decision upon.
Studying Eli’s Case
Me: Tell me about your experience with these injections.
Eli: I took 12 vitamin B12 shots, and didn’t monitor myself properly during that time. When I went to the doctor after half a year, he told me things got worse.
Me: Why did you start taking the shots ?
Eli: The doctor blood-tested me and told me that I have a B12 deficiency. He then suggested me 12 shots, 2 a week, and so I did.
Me: What dosage did the doctor give you?
Eli: I do not quite remember actually, but it was like a syringe with three drops of liquid.
Me: Was it painful?
Eli: A bit painful, yes. The first injection was painful, but I continued the treatment and got used to it after a few times.
Me: Do you still take it ?
Eli: No. I take B12 tablets today. Sublingual tablets. I put them under the tongue, one tablet a day.
Me: How are your B12 levels today ? Did you check for a deficiency?
Eli: Not yet. It’s been only two weeks for me with these tablets. They told me to take it for two months and come back for a vitamin B12 blood test, though I’ll probably won’t go, I’m always too lazy for that.
Me: Why did you become a vegan anyway?
Eli: Well, I don’t eat meat, poultry, fish, milk or eggs. These things disgust me, I HATE their smell. When my wife cooks in the weekends when I don’t work, I usually escape the house, I simply can’t stand the smell.
Me: Do you have problems absorbing this vitamin? Why did they give you injections?
Eli: They didn’t actually tell me. They just told me that I have a deficiency, and they gave me those 12 injections half a year ago, but now my wife has bought me these tablets after I took the blood-test two months earlier from now, which found me even more deficient.
Me: Well, what have you done in your whole life, when you didn’t take injections or tablets ?
Eli: Nothing. Actually nothing. I never went to a doctor. I’m vegan from the age of 11.
Me: Wow, and how old are you now?
Eli: 63.
Me: And you never tested for a deficiency all these years?!
Eli: Yeah, 52 years, never went to a doctor.
Me: What do you normally eat daily?
Eli: I eat a lot of nuts, around 70-80g of almonds, pomegranates and a lot, and I mean a LOT, of rice! Almost all week long. Many people in my age also told me that they have a B12 deficiency, even though they eat a lot of meat every day.
Me: Would you recommend taking these injections to someone who might be interested?
Eli: I don’t know. For me, it was neither helpful nor harmful.
Me: What about side effects?
Eli: I didn’t notice anything unusual.
Me: I find it very peculiar, that for 52 years, you never tested yourself for a deficiency.
Eli: (laughing)
Me: It’s pretty rare.
Eli: I never go to doctors. Never. Even when I have headaches or flus- I don’t even take medicines.
Me: I’m on the same boat here.
Eli: My wife brings me medicines all the time. I throw them to the trash can. She takes a lot of pills, for almost anything. I take nothing, I don’t like it. You spare yourself from a little pain but screw up something else in your body. I only take these B12 sublingual tablets, my doctor made me.
Me: Have you tried intranasal sprays or jel?
Eli: No. I’m not gonna take it, I’ll stick to the tablets I bought for two months, and I’ll then go do the blood test and see how things go.
Me: Eli, I wanna thank you for that.
Eli: All the best! send my best regards to your father.
Again, this is only a single case study, and you should not conclude anything based on that. The fact that Eli did not experience any vitamin B12 shots side effects does not mean that you will also not, and on the contrary, don’t assume there are no benefits for vitamin B12 shots just because he did not experience any. There are a lot more parameters in this equation that should be taken into account, as described in greater detailed in our new book.
You may also be interested in further reading over general vitamin B12 benefits.
Did you experience any vitamin B12 shots benefits and/or side effects? Share your thoughts using the comment box below.
“It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.” – Mahatma Gandhi.
Update: I have added a long post that includes everything you need to know about vitamin B12 foods. Check it out, there’s some useful information over there.
Important Note: This article is given to you for informational purposes only. It is highly suggested that you go see a physician before any decision or action you decide to take.
His diet consists of nuts, pomegranate and rice? No wonder he’s sick. I’m not opposed to veganism in principle, but a lot of people I see go about it so horribly. I think it’s the worst possible course for someone who is a naturally picky eater; they end up getting all their calories from just a few food sources (namely, soy) and they end up malnourished.
We are not designed nor really evolved to eat grain. It is a novel food source and, yes, it is processed food. You cannot pick a stalk of corn, or rice, or quinoa, from the plant and eat it raw. In some cases, you would actually get sick. Again, I’m not opposed to veganism. I think the human body is an amazing machine that can do just fine on a huge variety of diets (the main exception being the modern western diet.) But I question those who, in the pursuit of health, eschew obvious natural food sources like meat and instead rely on novel, processed foods like grain and beans. It doesn’t make sense to me.
Agreed 100%.