In conclusion, vitamin B12 deficiency is a common health issue that can have severe negative effects on our bodies
We will talk about this a little bit later, but it turns out that Vitamin B12 must go through several steps before it is properly absorbed through your GI tract and several hormone imbalances (including thyroid) can alter this absorption
That matters because, unlike most peptides, a small molecule can be studied orally as well as by injection it has no peptide bonds for digestive enzymes to cleave
In short, the difference between oral supplementation and injection is that an injection will provide a higher dose of B12 at regular intervals, whilst oral supplements have a lower dosage and can be taken every day
Where deficiency is confirmed, treatment may include oral supplementation (for dietary insufficiency or mild malabsorption) or intramuscular hydroxocobalamin injections (for pernicious anaemia or severe malabsorption), as per NICE and British Society for Haematology guidelines