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STYLEPHILE: B12: Shot of champions?
Daily Variety
08-04-06
It was the shot heard 'round Hollywood.
When Lindsay Lohan collapsed last week on the set of "Georgia Rule," she was rushed to the hospital for a B12 shot. It was reported that she was suffering from heat exhaustion and dehydration.
Hot and tired? Well, who isn't?
"I see about 30 or so patients a week who come in for a shot," says Dr. Sabena Toor, an internist at Cedars-Sinai Hospital who has administered vitamin megadoses for 11 years. Vitamin B12 is commonly found in meats, fish, and dairy products. "When I first started, I got such great feedback. My patients felt more energized and less stressed."
However, no one can actually pinpoint the precise efficacy of a B12 shot. No U.S. studies ascertain its benefits, though Dr. Toor says that in Europe, India and Asia, B12 shots are as much a health staple as a multi-vitamin pill.
Still, absence of proof didn't stop Margaret Thatcher from getting regular pricks in the posterior during her tenure as Prime Minister and Charlize Theron gets them too. Hugh Jackman recently noted that twice-weekly B12 shots helped him dance 10 hours a day for "The Boy from Oz." Prince gets a B12 fix before every performance.
It could be called the "morning-after" shot, too. "I get actors and actresses who have done a night of partying without eating," says Dr. Toor. "Alcohol depletes vitamin B." (Chronic alcoholism is a documented cause of B12 deficiency and gossip bloggers quickly accused Lohan of getting the shot to quell DTs shortly after she collapsed.)
However, most B12ers do it for the rush. "At first, I didn't feel anything," recalls Carlota Espinosa, a Fox 11 style segment producer who gets injections from Dr. Toor whenever she feels sluggish. "After about 30 minutes, I was pumped up."
While naysayers say any high can be attributed to a placebo effect, R.N. Sally Pacholok, co-author of "Could It Be B12? An Epidemic of Misdiagnoses," disagrees. "B12 does help different brain neurotransmitters perform better."
A few days ago, this hot and tired reporter pulled a Lohan and sped to the hospital for a dose. An hour later, the sky looked bluer and the office water tasted better. Even the interior of her car seemed cleaner. She slept well that night, too.
For more information, please visit Variety.com - Entertainment news, movie reviews, industry events - Variety Magazine Online.
Daily Variety
08-04-06
It was the shot heard 'round Hollywood.
When Lindsay Lohan collapsed last week on the set of "Georgia Rule," she was rushed to the hospital for a B12 shot. It was reported that she was suffering from heat exhaustion and dehydration.
Hot and tired? Well, who isn't?
"I see about 30 or so patients a week who come in for a shot," says Dr. Sabena Toor, an internist at Cedars-Sinai Hospital who has administered vitamin megadoses for 11 years. Vitamin B12 is commonly found in meats, fish, and dairy products. "When I first started, I got such great feedback. My patients felt more energized and less stressed."
However, no one can actually pinpoint the precise efficacy of a B12 shot. No U.S. studies ascertain its benefits, though Dr. Toor says that in Europe, India and Asia, B12 shots are as much a health staple as a multi-vitamin pill.
Still, absence of proof didn't stop Margaret Thatcher from getting regular pricks in the posterior during her tenure as Prime Minister and Charlize Theron gets them too. Hugh Jackman recently noted that twice-weekly B12 shots helped him dance 10 hours a day for "The Boy from Oz." Prince gets a B12 fix before every performance.
It could be called the "morning-after" shot, too. "I get actors and actresses who have done a night of partying without eating," says Dr. Toor. "Alcohol depletes vitamin B." (Chronic alcoholism is a documented cause of B12 deficiency and gossip bloggers quickly accused Lohan of getting the shot to quell DTs shortly after she collapsed.)
However, most B12ers do it for the rush. "At first, I didn't feel anything," recalls Carlota Espinosa, a Fox 11 style segment producer who gets injections from Dr. Toor whenever she feels sluggish. "After about 30 minutes, I was pumped up."
While naysayers say any high can be attributed to a placebo effect, R.N. Sally Pacholok, co-author of "Could It Be B12? An Epidemic of Misdiagnoses," disagrees. "B12 does help different brain neurotransmitters perform better."
A few days ago, this hot and tired reporter pulled a Lohan and sped to the hospital for a dose. An hour later, the sky looked bluer and the office water tasted better. Even the interior of her car seemed cleaner. She slept well that night, too.
For more information, please visit Variety.com - Entertainment news, movie reviews, industry events - Variety Magazine Online.
