Vitamin B12 and Weight Loss
July 1, 2007
There is lots of different information going around about B12 and whether it can help you lose weight. It’s hard to distinguish between right and wrong information. So what’s the truth? What is B12 and can it help you lose weight?
B12 is a nutrient that we get naturally in our diets. B12 is one of the nutritients that our bodies need for proper functioning. Someone with a B12 deficiency will have serious side effects to their body. Look at it this way, if you are baking a cake you wouldn’t bake it without the flour would you? Obviously not because when you leave one of the most important ingredients out, the cake just doesn’t turn out right. Your body is exactly the same. When your body lacks something as vital as B12 it just won’t work right. This vital nutrient lets your body operate more effectively and efficiently which in the long run allows you to lose weight because it improves your overall health.
Another great thing about B12 is the energy boost it gives your body. This obviously won’t take off the pounds itself, but it gives you the motivation to get up and moving. And when we get up and move we know what the natural reaction to that is – weight loss.
Another weight loss helper is your metabolism and B12 boosts it. What exactly happens when you have a boost in your metabolism? Well you digest food faster and will burn more calories just sitting there. And basic science tells us that the more calories you burn, the fewer calories you store as fat. And when you increase your exercise level that will also give your metabolism an extra boost!
B12 shots tend to be on the pricey shot, about $65 a pop! Our bodies all have B12 from the foods we eat so a shot isn’t necessarily the route to take. In fact you can get more B12 in your system simply by adding it to your diet. Start eating more things like salmon, trout, liver and clams which are high in B12.
As mentioned earlier, there is a lot of information out there regarding B12 and there are scientists that claim it’s not effective. But there are thousands of people out there that say it helped them lose weight. There is no magical pill or cure to losing weight, it’s determined by how hard you work at it. But, B12 if combined with diet and exercise could just be that extra boost that your body needs to shed those extra pounds!
Hi,
Its always the way the scientist and pharmacists always put down natural methods when there isn’t a way that they can make money out of it.
Everything said here is true, but… I think that it may be better to
get your b12 from vegetable quality sources. B12 can be found
in fermented soy products, seaweeds, and algae such as spirulina
and blue green algae. I think that getting vitamins from animal
quality products just makes our bodies lazy and consequently
weaker. Just a thought.
B 12 has helped me lose weight. I have lost 15lbs in about 2 months while taking B 12. I also walk a mile a day for my exercise. I take the vitamin once a day. The vitamin can be bought at your local GNC store.
Scott is right about Spirulina - it is an excellent source of B12, as well as Amino Acids and B Complex Vitamins. My wife took Spirulina right through her pregnancy and while breast feeding. My daughter, who is now 13, has taken Spirulina since she was 6 months old. So, it is totally safe. But make sure it is Organic as this is the best quality.
Hope this helps.
Kind Regards,
Robert
Spirulina
My fiancee and I have a consultation with a doctor for b12 shots tommorrow - the goal is weight loss (this appointment is for a woman; I’m going for emotional support) She has a thyroid issue; dont know if that comlicates things…..some ppl say b12 has no effect on weight loss, some ppl say it works wonders…i’m wondering what is a realistic goal for losing weight when combined with reasonable diet and exercise?
With the b12 shots I lost alot of weight, I will tell anyone to take them and I had alot energy to work out.
Great weight loss motivation tip. It is always easier to stick to the healthy meal plan if one’s energy is up. We recommend getting as much of the 3 important B vitamins form raw foods as possible and supplementing the rest.
Debbie
Las Vegas, NV