Skip to content
Educational information only. Not medical advice. We sell nothing and take no affiliate money.
By /
Compounded nutrient mix (not a peptide)No published researchNot FDA approved

Lipotropic injections (Lipo-C)

Lipotropic injections (mixes of methionine, inositol and choline, often with carnitine, vitamin B12 or arginine)

Last reviewed October 27, 2026 · 16 sources · Written for general readers · Compare with another compound →

The bottom line

Lipotropic shots are mixes of nutrients like methionine, inositol, choline and vitamin B12 made by compounding pharmacies, and they are not FDA approved. We found no published study of these injection mixes for weight loss, energy or anything else. The human data that exist are for single ingredients, mostly taken as pills or in diet studies, and show real roles in deficiency but small or no benefits for weight in people who already get enough.

Where the evidence stands

What it is

Lipotropic means a substance that helps move fat out of the liver. Choline is the classic example: the body needs it to carry fats out of the liver, and too little choline can lead to fat building up there.[1] Clinics and med spas use the word to sell injection mixes, often called MIC (methionine, inositol, choline) shots, Lipo-B or Lipo-C, sometimes with carnitine, vitamin B12 or arginine added.

These mixes are not FDA approved drugs. They are made by compounding pharmacies, which mix drugs for individual patients. On FDA's list of ingredients nominated for compounding, choline chloride is still under review, while methionine and plain inositol do not appear at all.[2] Because each product is a mix and recipes vary, there is no single chemical formula.

Some single ingredients do exist as approved injections for real deficiencies, such as vitamin B12 for people who cannot absorb it and levocarnitine for carnitine deficiency.[3][4] Weight loss is not an approved use of either.

Name
Lipotropic injections (Lipo-C) (Lipotropic injections (mixes of methionine, inositol and choline, often with carnitine, vitamin B12 or arginine))
Other names
Lipo-C, Lipo-B, MIC injections, MIC B12, skinny shots
Type
Compounded nutrient mix (not a peptide)

What it does in the body

No study has measured what a lipotropic shot does in the body as a mix. Each ingredient is a normal nutrient with a known job: choline helps the liver ship out fat, carnitine carries fat into the cell's power plants, vitamin B12 is needed to make blood cells, and inositol has been studied mainly for blood sugar and insulin.[1][5][6][7] The open question is whether extra amounts do anything in people who are not low.

This is the biology, area by area. A change measured in the body, like a higher blood level, does not always mean a person feels a benefit. The claims check below covers that.

Liver

Measured in people

Choline is needed to package fat so the liver can send it out into the blood.[1] In a diet study of 57 adults fed almost no choline for up to six weeks, about 77% of men and 80% of women past menopause developed fatty liver or muscle damage, while only 44% of younger women did. Their organs returned to normal when choline was added back.[8] This shows what happens in deficiency, not that extra choline removes fat from a healthy liver.

Muscle and strength

Measured in people

Muscle takes up extra carnitine slowly. In 7 young men, a five hour IV drip of carnitine raised muscle carnitine about 15%, but only while insulin was held at a high level.[9] Taken by mouth with a sugary drink, it took 24 weeks to raise muscle carnitine about 21%.[10] A quick shot is unlikely to change muscle levels much, though this has not been tested.

Fat and appetite

Measured in people

Across 37 trials with 2,292 people, mostly with carnitine pills, extra weight loss averaged about 1.2 kg, with no change in waist size.[11] A pooled analysis of nine carnitine trials with 911 people also found only a small effect, and weight was often a side outcome rather than the main goal.[12]

Blood sugar and blood fats

Measured in people

A 2025 pooled analysis of 18 trials with 898 people found inositol supplements modestly lowered fasting blood sugar, insulin resistance and triglycerides, with moderate to high certainty. Drops in BMI and waist size were small, about half a BMI point and about 2 cm, with low certainty.[7] These trials did not use injected lipotropic mixes.

Blood and nerves

Well established

Vitamin B12 is needed to make red blood cells and DNA and for nerves to develop and work. Shots are mainly for people with pernicious anemia or other conditions that block absorption, or with severe deficiency.[6][3] B12 is often promoted for energy and athletic performance, but in people who already have enough, extra B12 does not appear to improve performance.[6]

Gut and heart

Measured in people

Gut bacteria turn choline and carnitine into TMA, which the liver makes into TMAO, a compound linked to heart disease.[1] In people, a month of carnitine raised TMAO in both meat eaters and vegans.[13]

How it works

Sellers claim the shots speed up fat burning. The real roles of the ingredients are much narrower.

  • Choline helps the liver export fat. A lack of choline can cause fatty liver, but that is a deficiency problem, not proof that extra choline burns body fat.[1][8]
  • Carnitine helps cells use fat for energy. Swallowed carnitine has been tested in weight loss trials with small effects.[12][11]
  • Muscle soaks up extra carnitine slowly, over hours of high insulin or months of intake.[9][10]
  • Vitamin B12 is an essential vitamin, but in people who already have enough, extra B12 does not appear to boost performance.[6]

These are known nutrient roles. None of them shows that injecting the mix causes weight loss.

What the research shows

We keep animal and human evidence apart. A result in animals is a reason to study something in people, not proof that it works in people.

Animal and lab studies

No useful animal research on the injection mix

  • We found no animal studies testing these specific injection mixes for weight loss. The ingredient roles above come from basic nutrition science and human diet studies.[1][8]

Limit: Knowing what a nutrient does in a deficiency tells you little about extra amounts in healthy people.

Human studies

No trials of the shots themselves

  • We could not find any published study that tested MIC or lipotropic injections in people, for weight loss or anything else.
  • Choline: in a diet study of 57 adults, a near choline free diet for up to six weeks caused fatty liver or muscle damage in about 77% of men and 80% of women past menopause, which reversed when choline was restored.[8]
  • Inositol: a 2025 pooled analysis of 18 trials with 898 people found modest drops in fasting blood sugar, insulin resistance and triglycerides, and small drops in BMI and waist size that the authors rated low certainty.[7]
  • Carnitine pills: a larger 2020 review of 37 trials with 2,292 people found about 1.2 kg more weight loss and 2.1 kg more fat loss, with no change in waist size or body fat percent.[11]
  • Carnitine by IV: in 7 young men, a five hour drip raised muscle carnitine about 15%, but only when insulin was also held high.[9]
  • Carnitine and exercise: results across 28 trials and studies were inconsistent.[5]
  • Vitamin B12: U.S. nutrition experts note that extra B12 does not seem to help athletic performance in people who are not low in it.[6]
  • Injected carnitine: in label trials in dialysis patients, headache and high blood pressure were more common than with placebo.[4]

Limit: The only human data are for single ingredients, mostly taken by mouth or studied through diet, not for the injected mixes sold at clinics.

Claims check

The most common claims about this compound, and what studies actually found. Verdicts rate the evidence, not whether you should use it.

Melts fat and speeds weight loss

Not tested

We found no published trial of MIC or lipotropic shots for weight loss. The closest data are for carnitine pills: a review of 37 trials with 2,292 people found about 1.2 kg more weight loss than placebo, with no change in waist size.[11] That says little about a shot that mixes several nutrients.

Boosts energy

Not tested

No study has tested lipotropic shots for energy. U.S. nutrition experts note that B12 is often promoted for energy and performance, but extra B12 does not seem to help performance in people who are not low in it.[6]

Detoxes or protects the liver

Not tested

Choline is needed to move fat out of the liver, and in a diet study most men and older women fed almost no choline developed fatty liver or muscle damage.[1][8] No study has tested whether lipotropic shots help the liver in people who are not deficient.

Speeds up metabolism

Not tested

No study has measured metabolic rate in people given these shots. The ingredients' known roles are in normal nutrition, not in raising calorie burn.[1][6]

Balances blood sugar

Not tested

The shots have not been tested for blood sugar. Inositol supplements alone modestly lowered fasting blood sugar and insulin resistance across 18 trials with 898 people.[7]

Improves workouts

Mixed results

Only carnitine has been studied for exercise, mostly as pills. A 2018 review found inconsistent results across 28 trials and studies in athletes and active adults.[5] The shots themselves have not been tested.

Known risks and side effects

  • Sterility problems. In 2019 a Texas compounding pharmacy recalled all its sterile products, including a lipotropic MIC B12 injection, because it could not assure they were free of contamination.[14]
  • Unapproved imported products. FDA told health workers not to use a line of MIC and other injectable vitamin products made in the Dominican Republic, saying it could not be sure of their safety, effectiveness or quality.[15] In 2025 FDA also warned Amazon about a carnitine ampoule sold to dissolve fat.[16]
  • Allergic reactions to injected ingredients. Labels for approved B12 and levocarnitine injections warn of serious allergic reactions, including rare deaths after injected B12.[3][4]
  • Side effects of high intake. Very high choline intake is linked to fishy body odor, vomiting, heavy sweating, low blood pressure and liver damage.[1] Carnitine can cause nausea, diarrhea and a fishy odor.[12] Both feed gut bacteria that make TMAO, a compound linked to heart disease.[1][13]
  • Unregulated sources. These mixes are not FDA approved, and recipes vary by maker.[2] Products bought online or outside a licensed pharmacy may not contain what the label says.

Regulatory status

Today: No lipotropic injection mix is FDA approved. As of FDA's May 2026 list, choline chloride is still under review for compounding, and methionine and plain inositol are not on the list.[2]

  1. A compounding pharmacy recalls all sterile drugs, including a lipotropic MIC product, over sterility concerns.[14]
  2. FDA warns Amazon that a carnitine ampoule sold with fat dissolving claims is an unapproved new drug.[16]
  3. FDA's updated nomination list keeps choline chloride under review for compounding.[2]

Sources

  1. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Choline: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. Updated June 2, 2022. NIH ODS
  2. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Bulk Drug Substances Nominated for Use in Compounding Under Section 503A of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Updated May 14, 2026. FDA 503A nominations list
  3. DailyMed. CYANOCOBALAMIN injection. Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc. Label revised December 2023. DailyMed label
  4. DailyMed. CARNITOR (levocarnitine) injection, solution. Leadiant Biosciences. Label updated November 2023. DailyMed label
  5. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Carnitine: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. Updated April 17, 2023. NIH ODS
  6. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin B12: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. NIH ODS
  7. Agajani Delavar M, Mirabi P, Rosenkranz SK, Alibabaei-Omran F, Ahmadi N, Ghorbani Z. Inositol supplementation efficacy in improving key cardiometabolic and anthropometric indices: a GRADE-assessed systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Diabetol Metab Syndr. 2025;17(1):411. PMID 41163174
  8. Fischer LM, daCosta KA, Kwock L, Stewart PW, Lu TS, Stabler SP, et al. Sex and menopausal status influence human dietary requirements for the nutrient choline. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007;85(5):1275-1285. PMID 17490963
  9. Stephens FB, Constantin-Teodosiu D, Laithwaite D, Simpson EJ, Greenhaff PL. An acute increase in skeletal muscle carnitine content alters fuel metabolism in resting human skeletal muscle. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2006;91(12):5013-5018. PMID 16984983
  10. Wall BT, Stephens FB, Constantin-Teodosiu D, Marimuthu K, Macdonald IA, Greenhaff PL. Chronic oral ingestion of L-carnitine and carbohydrate increases muscle carnitine content and alters muscle fuel metabolism during exercise in humans. J Physiol. 2011;589(Pt 4):963-973. PMID 21224234
  11. Talenezhad N, Mohammadi M, Ramezani-Jolfaie N, Mozaffari-Khosravi H, Salehi-Abargouei A. Effects of l-carnitine supplementation on weight loss and body composition: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 37 randomized controlled clinical trials with dose-response analysis. Clin Nutr ESPEN. 2020;37:9-23. PMID 32359762
  12. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary Supplements for Weight Loss: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. Updated October 22, 2026. NIH ODS
  13. Koeth RA, Lam-Galvez BR, Kirsop J, Wang Z, Levison BS, Gu X, et al. l-Carnitine in omnivorous diets induces an atherogenic gut microbial pathway in humans. J Clin Invest. 2019;129(1):373-387. DOI 10.1172/JCI94601
  14. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Pharm D Solutions, LLC Issues Voluntary Nationwide Recall of All Sterile Compounded Drugs Due to Potential Lack of Sterility Assurance. May 23, 2019. FDA recall
  15. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA warns health care professionals not to use injectable vitamin products distributed by Medical Supply Liquidators. FDA
  16. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Warning Letter to Amazon.com, Inc. (MARCS-CMS 695821). March 3, 2025. FDA warning letter
Medical disclaimer

This page is educational information only. It is not medical advice and does not replace care from a licensed medical provider. Do not use this page to decide whether to take any substance. Talk to a licensed medical provider first.

Found an error or a newer study? We correct pages fast.

Report a correction →
Scroll to Top