Vitamin B Complex and Weight Loss

Unhealthy diet and carefree lifestyle often lead to obesity. When it comes to losing weight, most of the time, a person is advised to take numerous corrective measures, like altering the daily diet, incorporating a few vitamin supplements in the diet, and increasing the frequency and intensity of the weight loss exercises.

All in all, balanced intake of essential nutrients and organized exercise routine is the key to weight loss.

Vitamin B complex contains 8 B vitamins. Any sort of imbalance with these vitamins causes sudden changes in weight. Needless to say, this is where the idea of use of vitamin B complex for weight loss came forward.

Vitamin B complex is a group of 8 water-soluble B vitamins. They are namely Thiamine (B1), Riboflavin (B2), Niacin (B3), Pantothenic Acid (B5), Pyridoxine (B6), Biotin (B7), Folic Acid (B9), and Cyanocobalamin (B12).

These vitamins are naturally available in various food sources like bananas and several other fruits, lentils, chili peppers, and few other vegetables. Vitamin B deficiency can lead to various diseases and disorders.

For example, vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to megaloblastic anemia, unsteady gait, shaky movements, Alzheimer's disease, stroke, insomnia, depression, nerve damage, fatigue, certain types of cancers, etc.

Along with several other health conditions, vitamin B deficiency also leads to slow rate of metabolism. So, one of the major symptoms of vitamin B (especially B6, B12) deficiency is weight gain or obesity, which further leads to various harmful health conditions.

Due to all this, there are strong claims about the connection between 'use of vitamin B' and 'weight loss'. It has been noticed that B12 injections can boost the energy levels of a person (like in case of megaloblastic anemia), as they increase the rate of metabolism.

However, it is important to know that these vitamins are only helpful when they are consumed through the correct sources, and in the correct proportion. When a person is advised B complex for weight loss, he/she also needs to follow a special diet plan and exercise routine. Then only, he/she will be able to enjoy 'weight loss'.

One can always increase the intake of vitamin B12 by incorporating foods rich in vitamin B12 in regular diet. Shellfish, meat, poultry, milk, and other dairy products are good sources of vitamin B12. Doctors and nutritionists usually do not recommend vitamin B12 injections for weight loss.

Some weight loss programs involve taking vitamin B injections. Vitamin B1, vitamin B5, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 are some of the strongest members of vitamin B complex family, when it comes to healthy weight loss. However, vitamin B12 is said to be the best vitamin for weight reduction, amongst the vitamin B complex.

This is the reason why vitamin B12 injections are often used for weight loss along several interchangeable combination of other vitamins, especially vitamin B6 and vitamin B1.

These weight loss supplements offer several other health benefits too. They help maintain hormonal balance, boost energy levels, improve memory, and relieve symptoms of various health conditions like constipation, bulimia, indigestion, dry skin, DNA and RNA synthesis, depression and irritability, etc.

Most supplements are administered intramuscularly or intravenously in the body.

Administering vitamin B shots for weight loss is pretty common thing these days, but there are several complication that are related with vitamin B overdose, which might be a case with the people who use such supplements without proper medical advice.

Consuming too much vitamin B complex can lead to skin rashes, diarrhea, nerve damage, eye problems, bloating, abdominal cramps, bitter taste in mouth, hyperactivity, depression, reduced absorption of nutrients, and reduced protein metabolism. Moreover, an overdose of vitamin B-12 can interfere with the effectiveness of some medications.

It can lead to a change in the color of the urine. One should consult a doctor before taking the injections. Those who want to use vitamin B complex for weight loss should discuss the exact connection between vitamin B and weight loss with a health care provider.

Those who are allergic to vitamin B12, cobalt, or any other ingredients present in the supplement should avoid taking it. People with high blood pressure, heart diseases, skin disorders, gout, blood disorders, mineral deficiency, etc. should use the supplement cautiously. They should be monitored closely after the use of the supplement.

Lastly, it is important to remember that there is no strong and conclusive evidence to support the claim that vitamin B12 will help you lose weight. Weight loss is a slow process and it depends upon several factors, such as eating and sleeping habits, diet, exercise, lifestyle, stress, etc.

So, rather than wasting time, energy, and money in taking B complex injections, and falling prey to various side effects, it is better to follow a healthy weight loss diet along with a well-planned weight loss exercise.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this story is solely for educating the reader. It is not intended to be a substitute for the advice of a medical expert.