How does Vitamin B help fight off flu?
Lilanie Joubert, pharmacist at U Gen, offers advice on how a shot of Vitamin B can improve your overall health.
Winter is around the corner and many people are at risk of catching a cold or flu.
Having a Vitamin B shot is one of the ways that you can reduce your risk of getting sick.
Lilanie Joubert, a pharmacist at U Gen, says there are countless health benefits of getting a Vitamin B shot.
One of the benefits includes improved brain function.
According to OmegaQuant, all three—B6, B9, and B12—are linked with healthy brain development and function, from mood to cognition.
Joubert says Vitamin B also aids neurotransmitters - chemical messengers in the nervous system that influence mood, muscle movement, and heart rate.
It also helps with hair, skin, and nails.
But one of the greatest benefits of having a Vitamin B shot is that it serves as an energy booster.
When it comes to fighting off flu, Joubert says the main way that Vitamin B fights off infections is because it is a great immune booster.
"When your immunity is strong, that means you will better fight off infections. When you have a low function of immunity, you are more susceptible to getting sick," says Joubert.
She adds that Vitamin B is "good for people with low immunity."
The pharmacist adds: "Taking Vitamin B is not to say you won’t get sick, but chances are lowered."
READ: Vitamin boosting superfoods that will help with your immunity, stress and anxiety
Tablets vs injection
Vitamin B can be taken as tablets or be injected into the body, but which method is the best?
Joubert says the benefits with the injection is that you take it once every three or four weeks, unlike the pills which you have to take daily.
"The injection goes directly into the muscle and the medication is absorbed into the bloodstream quickly, so it is more effective," says the pharmacist.
"For people who forget to take tablets everyday, this is a better option because you take it every three weeks."
Can children get the Vitamin B injection?
Joubert says the Vitamin B injection can be given to children above the age of 12 with a prescription.
Image courtesy of iStock/ @Zinkevych
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Disclaimer: Health-related information provided in this article is not a substitute for medical advice and should not be used to diagnose or treat health problems. It is always advisable to consult with your doctor on any health-related issues.