Lipotropic injections combine nutrients the body uses to handle fat, usually methionine, inositol and choline, often with vitamin B12. They are marketed as fat burners. This article separates what those nutrients do in the body from what has been shown when the injections are given to people.
What is in the shot
Our lipotropic line includes MIC/B12 and MICC/B12, which combine methionine, inositol and choline with B12, along with Lipo-Methyl B12, Lipo-B and Lipo-C. Compounded blends are made by individual pharmacies, so a result from one blend cannot be assumed for another.
Choline is a real nutrient
Choline has roles from cell structure to the making of neurotransmitters. A 2009 review reported that mean intakes for men, women and pregnant women were far below the adequate intake set by the Institute of Medicine (Zeisel 2009). That is a question about diet, and it does not show that an injection helps with weight loss.
What the research has tested
We searched the medical literature for lipotropic injections in people, through PubMed and Europe PMC, and found no randomized trial of these injections for weight loss or fat loss. The studies that came up were in fish, shrimp, dairy cattle and cell biology. The lack of trials does not prove that the injections fail. It means the claim has not been tested.
What B12 adds
In a confirmed B12 deficiency, B12 is the treatment, and the choice of route is covered in our B12 article. In people with normal B12 levels, we found no trial showing that B12 injections add energy or fat loss.
What this does not say
- Lipotropic injections are compounded and are not FDA-approved. The FDA has not reviewed their safety, efficacy or quality.
- We found no trial in people of Lipo-Methyl B12, Lipo-B or Lipo-C. Read the composition of each blend on its own label.
- Absence of evidence is not evidence of harm. We say what has not been tested, not what is dangerous.
- A nutrient the body needs is not, on its own, a reason for an injection. Diet, labs and history decide whether a nutrient is low.
How we use this
Our physicians do not present lipotropic injections as fat burners. When someone asks about one, we explain what it contains, what has been tested and what has not, and we review the history and labs first.
If a lipotropic shot is part of a plan, we say plainly that the trials have not shown a fat-loss effect.
Explore weight loss treatmentsSources
- 1.Choline: an essential nutrient for public health. Zeisel SH, da Costa KA. Nutr Rev. 2009;67(11). Nutrition Reviews