ScienceDaily: Vitamin B News

Vitamin C does not lower uric acid levels in gout patients, study finds

Thu, 16 May 2013 06:37:37 EDT

Despite previous studies touting its benefit in moderating gout risk, new research reveals that vitamin C, also known ascorbic acid, does not reduce uric acid (urate) levels to a clinically significant degree in patients with established gout. Vitamin C supplementation, alone or in combination with allopurinol, appears to have a weak effect on lowering uric acid levels in gout patients, according to the results of a new study.

Folate and vitamin B12 reduce disabling schizophrenia symptoms in some patients

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 16:22:22 EST

Adding the dietary supplements folate and vitamin B12 to treatment with antipsychotic medication improved a core symptom component of schizophrenia in a study of more than 100 patients. The study focused on negative symptoms of schizophrenia -- which include apathy, social withdrawal, and a lack of emotional expressiveness. While the level of improvement across all participants was modest, results were more significant in individuals carrying specific variants in genes involved with folate metabolism.

Lower autism risk with folic acid supplements in pregnancy

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 17:22:22 EST

Women who took folic acid supplements in early pregnancy almost halved the risk of having a child with autism. Beginning to take folic acid supplements later in pregnancy did not reduce the risk.

Dark chocolate and red wine the food of love and health

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 13:47:47 EST

Valentine's Day staples of dark chocolate and red wine fuel the heart with love and health year 'round, says a dietitian. Catechins and resveratrol are just a few of the nutritional properties that make chocolate and red wine "diet foods" within moderation.

Which nutritional factors help preserve muscle mass, strength and performance in seniors?

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 11:17:17 EST

A new review identifies nutritional factors that contribute to sarcopenia (loss of muscle mass), or conversely, are beneficial to the maintenance of muscle mass. The Group reviewed evidence from worldwide studies on the role of nutrition in sarcopenia, specifically looking at protein, acid–base balance, vitamin D/calcium, and other minor nutrients like B vitamins.

Lack of key enzyme in the metabolism of folic acid leads to birth defects

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 13:33:33 EST

Researchers have discovered that the lack of a critical enzyme in the folic acid metabolic pathway leads to neural tube birth defects in developing embryos.

New evidence for epigenetic effects of diet on healthy aging

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 12:22:22 EST

New research in human volunteers has shown that molecular changes to our genes, known as epigenetic marks, are driven mainly by aging but are also affected by what we eat. The study showed that whilst age had the biggest effects on these molecular changes, selenium and vitamin D status reduced their accumulation, and high blood folate and obesity increased them. These findings support the idea that healthy aging is affected by what we eat.

Mild vitamin B12 deficiency associated with accelerated cognitive decline

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 10:26:26 EST

A study conducted at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University associates mild vitamin B-12 deficiency with accelerated cognitive decline in men and women, beginning in their mid-seventies. Whether such mild vitamin B-12 deficiency has any clinical consequences is the subject of debate.

Vitamin variants could combat cancer as scientists unravel B12 secrets

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 08:29:29 EDT

In a development that may lead to new drugs to treat cancer, scientists have discovered the process by which a key vitamin (B12) is made in cells.

Vitamin B12 deficiency: Tracing the causes

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 07:41:41 EDT

Vitamin B12 is vital. Medical researchers have succeeded in decoding a novel cause of hereditary vitamin B12 deficiency. They have discovered an important gene that determines how vitamin B12 gets into cells. Their discovery enables the diagnosis and treatment of this rare genetic disease.

Vitamin B12 supplements may help treat hepatitis C

Wed, 18 Jul 2012 07:40:40 EDT

Adding vitamin B12 to standard hepatitis C virus treatment significantly boosts the body's ability to keep the virus at bay, indicates a new study.

Folic acid intake during early pregnancy associated with reduced risk of autism in offspring

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 09:41:41 EDT

Women who consume the recommended daily dosage of folic acid, the synthetic form of folate or vitamin B-9, during the first month of pregnancy may have a reduced risk of having a child with autism.

Eating fish, chicken, nuts may lower risk of Alzheimer's disease

Wed, 02 May 2012 18:48:48 EDT

A new study suggests that eating foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish, chicken, salad dressing and nuts, may be associated with lower blood levels of a protein related to Alzheimer's disease and memory problems.

Vitamin therapy can still reduce stroke, researchers contend

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:07:07 EST

Medical researchers argue that vitamin therapy still has a role to play in reducing stroke.

Folate receptors may serve as a front door to ovarian cancer treatment

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 11:53:53 EDT

A new strategy that takes advantage of ovarian cancer's reliance on folate appears to give relapse patients extra months of life with few side effects, researchers say.

Folic acid in early pregnancy associated with reduced risk of severe language delay in children

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 16:30:30 EDT

Use of folic acid supplements by women in Norway in the period four weeks before to eight weeks after conception was associated with a reduced risk of the child having severe language delay at age three years, according to a new study.

Low vitamin B12 levels may lead to brain shrinkage, cognitive problems

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 16:58:58 EDT

Older people with low blood levels of vitamin B12 markers may be more likely to have lower brain volumes and have problems with their thinking skills, according to researchers.

A scientific 'go' for commercial production of vitamin-D enhanced mushrooms

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 10:46:46 EDT

A new commercial processing technology is suitable for boosting the vitamin D content of mushrooms and has no adverse effects on other nutrients in those tasty delicacies, the first study on the topic has concluded. The technology, which involves exposing mushrooms to the same kind of ultraviolet light that produces suntans, can greatly boost mushrooms' vitamin D content.

Treatment with vitamin C dissolves toxic protein aggregates in Alzheimer's disease

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 10:16:16 EDT

Researchers in Sweden have discovered a new function for vitamin C. Treatment with vitamin C can dissolve the toxic protein aggregates that build up in the brain in Alzheimer's disease.

High folate intake may reduce risk of colorectal cancer

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 12:36:36 EDT

Intake of high levels of folate may reduce colorectal cancer risk, according to a new study. Folate is a water-soluble B vitamin that occurs naturally in food.

A breath of fresh air for detecting vitamin B12 deficiency

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 22:44:44 EDT

Researchers have developed a new test to detect the levels of vitamin B12 using your breath, allowing for a cheaper, faster, and simpler diagnosis that could help to avoid the potentially fatal symptoms of B12 deficiency.

Fortifying corn masa flour with folic acid could prevent birth defects, March of Dimes says

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 19:36:36 EDT

Fortifying corn masa flour with the B vitamin folic acid could prevent more serious birth defects of the brain and spine in the Hispanic community, according to a March of Dimes commentary.

Folic acid given to mother rats protects offspring from colon cancer

Thu, 26 May 2011 15:25:25 EDT

Folic acid supplements given to pregnant and breastfeeding rats reduced the rate of colon cancer in their offspring by 64 percent, a new study has found.

Folic acid for everybody? Arguments in favor of food fortification to reduce neural tube defects

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 09:24:24 EDT

Neural tube defects in neonates are common in Germany compared with the rest of Europe. Extensive folic acid fortification of foods in Germany might prevent these in 85–100% of cases, researchers argue.

Offspring of female rats given folic acid supplements develop more breast cancer, study suggests

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 09:55:55 EST

The daughters of rats who took folic acid supplements before conception, during pregnancy and while breastfeeding have breast cancer rates twice as high as other rats, according to a new study.

Folic acid may increase the risk of asthma, study suggests

Thu, 10 Feb 2011 07:57:57 EST

Recent Norwegian research suggests that there may be a connection between high levels of folic acid in pregnant mothers and the development of asthma in their children. However, the researchers stress that pregnant women should continue to take folic acid supplements.

Why folic acid may prevent a first heart attack, but not a second

Wed, 02 Feb 2011 17:23:23 EST

A perplexing medical paradox now has an explanation according to new research. The paradox is that taking folic acid, a B vitamin, lowers homocysteine in the blood which, epidemiological evidence indicates, should lower the risk of heart attack, but clinical trials of folic acid have not shown the expected benefit.

Increased consumption of folic acid can reduce birth defects but may also be associated with colorectal cancer

Mon, 13 Dec 2010 12:16:16 EST

Folic acid can reduce birth defects including neural tube defects, congenital heart disease and oral clefts but some speculate high intakes of folic acid may be associated with adverse events such as colorectal cancer.

Age-related hearing loss and folate in the elderly

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 09:55:55 EST

Age-related hearing loss, one of the four most prevalent chronic conditions in the elderly, is associated with low serum levels of folic acid, according to new research.

Vitamin B12 may reduce risk of Alzheimer's disease

Mon, 18 Oct 2010 16:29:29 EDT

A new study shows that vitamin B12 may protect against Alzheimer's disease, adding more evidence to the scientific debate about whether the vitamin is effective in reducing the risk of memory loss.

B vitamins slow brain atrophy in people with memory problems

Sun, 12 Sep 2010 21:30:30 EDT

Daily tablets of certain B vitamins can halve the rate of brain shrinkage in elderly people who suffer from mild memory problems, a new study has shown.

B vitamins and the aging brain examined

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 13:43:43 EDT

Nutritionist are taking a closer look at the role the B vitamins may play in preventing decline in brain function.

Lowering homocysteine levels with folic acid and vitamin B12 does not appear to reduce risk of heart attack, stroke, study finds

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 16:12:12 EDT

Patients who had experienced a heart attack and lowered their blood homocysteine levels with folic acid and vitamin B12 supplementation did not have an associated lower risk of heart attack, coronary death or stroke, according to a new study. However, the researchers did find that folic acid supplementation did not increase the risk of cancer, which has been speculated.

Folate prevents alcohol-induced congenital heart defects in mice, study finds

Mon, 24 May 2010 13:08:08 EDT

A new animal study found that high levels of the B-vitamin folate prevents heart birth defects induced by alcohol exposure very early in pregnancy, a condition known as fetal alcohol syndrome. The dose that best protected against heart defects in mice was considerably higher than the current dietary recommendation of 400 micrograms of folate daily for women of child-bearing age, researchers report.

High doses of B vitamins associated with increased decline in kidney function for patients with kidney disease from diabetes

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 17:17:17 EDT

Patients with diabetic nephropathy (kidney disease caused by diabetes) who received high dose B-vitamin therapy experienced a more rapid decline in kidney function and had a higher rate of heart attack and stroke than patients who received placebo, according to a study.

Understanding how folic acid might help heal brain and spinal cord injuries

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 18:17:17 EDT

Babies born to women who do not consume enough folic acid are at high risk of developing neural tube defects. This is the reason underlying the recommendation that women who are pregnant take a folic acid supplement. New research using rodents now suggests how folic acid might also help promote healing in injured brain and spinal cord.

Diet high in B vitamins lowers heart risks in Japanese study

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 16:19:19 EDT

In a large study in Japan, women who reported eating more foods containing the B vitamins folate and B-6 were less likely to die from stroke and heart disease. Japanese men reporting diets high in these B vitamins were less likely to die of heart failure.

Food combination associated with reduced Alzheimer's disease risk identified in new study

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 16:19:19 EDT

Individuals whose diet includes more salad dressing, nuts, fish, poultry and certain fruits and vegetables and fewer high-fat dairy products, red meats, organ meats and butter appear less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease, according to a new report.

Folic acid in dietary supplements could increase risk of breast cancer, Swedish research suggests

Wed, 07 Apr 2010 12:33:33 EDT

In most women folate, a type of B vitamin, reduces the risk of breast cancer. However, in women with a certain genetic make-up it has shown to be the opposite: folate raises the risk of breast cancer, according to a Swedish nutrition researcher.

Supermarket lighting enhances nutrient level of fresh spinach

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 11:39:39 EST

Far from being a food spoiler, the fluorescent lighting in supermarkets actually can boost the nutritional value of fresh spinach, scientists are reporting. The finding could lead to improved ways of preserving and enhancing the nutritional value of spinach and perhaps other veggies, they suggest.

Etiological role for H. pylori in autoimmune gastritis

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 09:12:12 EST

Autoimmune type atrophic gastritis is a severe gastric atrophy associated with vitamin B12 deficiency. The reason for the disappearance of acid secreting cells from gastric mucosa is not fully understood, but the role of Helicobacter pylori in initiating the mucosal damage is suspected in animal studies. A study found signs of previous H. pylori infection in patients with autoimmune type atrophic gastritis.

Treatment with folic acid, vitamin B12 associated with increased risk of cancer, death

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:10:10 EST

Patients with heart disease in Norway, a country with no fortification of foods with folic acid, had an associated increased risk of cancer and death from any cause if they had received treatment with folic acid and vitamin B12, according to a new study.

Blood Test Identifies Women At Risk From Alzheimer's

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:56:56 EST

Middle-aged women with high levels of a specific amino acid in their blood are twice as likely to suffer from Alzheimer's many years later, reveals new research from Sweden. This discovery this could lead to a new and simple way of determining who is at risk long before there are any signs of the illness.

Folic Acid Supplements Linked To Asthma, Study Suggests

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:17:17 EST

A new study may have shed light on the rise in childhood asthma in developed countries like Australia in recent decades. Researchers have identified a link between folic acid supplements taken in late pregnancy and allergic asthma in children aged between 3 and 5 years, suggesting that the timing of supplementation in pregnancy is important.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity Problems Associated With Low Folate Levels In Pregnant Women

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:46:46 EDT

It has long been suggested that healthy folate levels in expectant mothers goes hand in hand with healthy nervous system development in their children.

Mortality Rates Reduced Among Children Whose Mothers Received Iron-folic Acid Supplements

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:28:28 EDT

Offspring whose mothers had been supplemented with iron-folic acid during pregnancy had dramatically reduced mortality through age 7.

Medications That Block Folic Acid In Pregnancy Double Risk Of Congenital Malformations In Fetus

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 20:17:17 EDT

Pregnant women are advised to take vitamin supplements containing folic acid as part of their routine prenatal care. Now, a new study warns that taking medications that reduce or block the actions of folic acid during the first trimester of pregnancy increase the risk that the growing baby will develop abnormalities.

Effects Of Aspirin And Folic Acid On Inflammation Markers For Colorectal Adenomas

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 22:58:58 EDT

Unexpectedly, inflammation markers do not appear to be involved with the chemopreventative effect of aspirin on colorectal adenomas, according to new research.

Heart Disease: B-vitamin Pills Have No Effect, Review Finds

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 19:13:13 EDT

B-vitamin supplements should not be recommended for prevention of heart disease, say scientists. A new review has shown these supplements do not reduce the risk of developing or dying from the disease.

Folic Acid: Mandatory Fortification May Be Unnecessary

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 20:19:19 EDT

Persistently present levels of unmetabolized folic acid found in the population indicate that introducing mandatory food fortification may result in an "overdosing" effect. A study of blood donors, new mothers and babies, has found that most already get enough folic acid from voluntarily fortified foods.

Scientists Rule Out Link Between Specific Antibodies, Such As Folic Acid related Auto-antibodies, And Spina Bifida

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:11:11 EDT

New research shows that a woman's risk of having a child with a neural tube defect, such as spina bifida, is not linked to folic acid related auto-antibodies.

Some Neural Tube Defects In Mice Linked To Enzyme Deficiency

Mon, 25 May 2009 17:35:35 EDT

Women of childbearing age can reduce the risk of having a child born with a neural tube defect such as spina bifida by eating enough folate or folic acid. New research using mice confirms the importance of another nutrient, inositol, to protect against the development of neural tube defects.

Folic Acid Effecive In Preventing Congenital Heart Defects, Canadian Research Shows

Thu, 14 May 2009 11:14:14 EDT

Canada's policy of fortifying grain products with folic acid has already proved to be effective in preventing neural tube defects. New research shows that folic acid also decreases the incidence of congenital heart defects by more than six percent.

Taking Folic Acid Supplements Before Conception Linked To Reduced Risk Of Premature Birth

Mon, 11 May 2009 21:04:04 EDT

Taking folic acid supplements for at least a year before conception is associated with reduction in the risk of premature birth, according to a new study.

Folic Acid May Help Treat Allergies, Asthma

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 06:54:54 EDT

Folic acid, or vitamin B9, essential for red blood cell health and long known to reduce the risk of spinal birth defects, may also suppress allergic reactions and lessen the severity of allergy and asthma symptoms, according to new research.

Health Benefits, Consequences Of Folic Acid Dependent On Circumstances

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 13:44:44 EDT

For the past several decades, evidence has shown that greater dietary intake of the B-vitamin, folate, offers protection against the development of certain common cancers and reduces neural tube defects in newborns, opening new avenues for public health interventions that have a great impact on health. However, folate's central role as an essential factor in DNA synthesis also means that abundant availability of the vitamin can enhance the development of pre-cancerous and cancerous tumors.

Folic Acid Supplements Linked To Higher Risk Of Prostate Cancer, Study Shows

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 16:14:14 EDT

Men who took a daily folic acid supplement of 1 mg daily had more than twice the risk of prostate cancer compared with men who took a placebo.

Are Vitamin Supplements Effective In Celiac Disease Patients?

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 10:26:26 EST

A research group from the Netherlands investigated the effect of vitamin supplements on homocysteine levels in patients with celiac disease. They found that homocysteine levels are dependent on Marsh classification and the regular use of B-vitamin supplements is effective in reduction of homocysteine levels in patients with celiac disease and should be considered in disease management.

Low Levels Of Vitamin B12 May Increase Risk For Neural Tube Defects

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 09:01:01 EST

Children born to women who have low blood levels of vitamin B12 shortly before and after conception may have an increased risk of a neural tube defect, according to a new analysis. Vegans and vegetarians may be at risk.

Vitamin B And Folic Acid May Reduce Risk Of Age-related Vision Loss

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 22:13:13 EST

Taking a combination of vitamins B6 and B12 and folic acid appears to decrease the risk of age-related macular degeneration in women, according to a new report.