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Home > Anti-aging Research > B Vitamins.

B Vitamins

Specific Recommendations:

• iHerb or Vitacost folic acid products.
• iHerb or Vitacost Vitamin B12 products.
• Biotin products at iHerb
• Biotin products at Vitacost
• Vitamin Shoppe

CME/CEM:

• Older Adults May Need B12 Dose More Than 200 Times the RDA to Normalize Mild Vitamin Deficiency - Medscape, exp. 5/27/06
• Health Benefits of Folic Acid - PowerPak.com, exp. 11/15/05

General Information:

• Vitamin B-Complex - Vitacost Health Library
• Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) - Vitacost Health Library
• Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) - Vitacost Health Library
• Vitamin B3 (Niacin/Niacinamide) - Vitamin Health Library
• Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid) - Vitacost Health Library
• Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) - Vitacost Health Library
• Vitamin B9 (Folic Acid) - Vitacost Health Library - "folic acid supplementation can interfere with the laboratory diagnosis of vitamin B12 deficiency, possibly allowing the deficiency to progress undetected to the point of irreversible nerve damage"
• Vitamin B12 - Vitacost Health Library
• Biotin - Vitacost Health Library
• Inositol - Vitacost Health Library
• PABA - Vitacost Health Library
• Vitamin B12 Deficiency - Vitacost Health Library
• Who should take a B-complex multivitamin? - drugstore.com
• B-Vitamins and Heart Disease - thenutritionreporter.com

Other News:

• Brief, High Doses Of Folate -- B Vitamin -- Blunt Damage From Heart Attack - Science Daily, 3/27/08 - "Long known for its role in preventing anemia in expectant mothers and spinal birth defects in newborns, the B vitamin folate, found in leafy green vegetables, beans and nuts has now been shown to blunt the damaging effects of heart attack when given in short-term, high doses to test animals ... a high dose of folic acid for humans comparable to that given the rats would require an average-size adult to swallow more than 200 one-milligram pills per day, "an impractical and unrealistic regimen, even if the body excretes the excess."" - I debated whether to publish this.  It is a ridiculous amount.
• Vitamin B6 and Homocysteine Changes Seen in Women With Rheumatoid Arthritis - Medscape, 3/25/08 - "those with rheumatoid arthritis are deficient in vitamin B6 and have elevated levels of homocysteine ... The vitamin B6 deficit appears to be the result of altered metabolism, not reduced dietary intake ... dietary intake of B vitamins is not decreased in rheumatoid arthritis patients, yet they still show a deficit of vitamin B6. Consistent with this finding, rheumatoid arthritis was also associated with increased levels of homocysteine. None of the subjects in the study were using B vitamin supplements ... Individuals with rheumatoid arthritis may need to get more B vitamins through diet, supplements, or fortified foods"
• Dads-to-Be May Need Folate, Too - WebMD, 3/20/08 - "Sperm with chromosomal abnormalities called aneuploidy were rare for all of the men, but they were 18% to 30% rarer in men who reported high folate or folic acid intake" - See folic acid products at iHerb.
• Folate Deficiency Associated With Tripling Of Dementia Risk, Study Shows - Science Daily, 2/5/08 - "Folate deficiency is associated with a tripling in the risk of developing dementia among elderly people" - See iHerb folic acid products.
• Testosterone Reduces Visceral Fat Gain in Nonobese Older Men - Medscape, 2/1/08
• Large Study Links Folic Acid Supplementation With Reduced Risk Of Preeclampsia During Pregnancy - Science Daily, 1/23/08 - "preeclampsia occurred in 2.2 per cent of women who took multivitamins containing folic acid compared to 5.1 per cent of women who did not"
• Vitamin B6 may slash colorectal cancer risk - Nutra USA, 1/17/08 - "High vitamin B6 intakes were reported to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer by 19 per cent. The protective effect was found to be higher among 55-year-old individuals (1,001 cases compared to 1,010 controls)" - [Abstract]
• CDC to Young Women: Take Folic Acid - WebMD, 1/10/08 - "All women, especially younger women ages 18-24 years, need to consume 400 micrograms of folic acid daily through supplements, fortified foods, or both in addition to a folate-rich diet to prevent serious birth defects"
• Folic Acid and Stroke--Finally Some Good News - Medscape, 1/3/08 - "the results of this trial were notable for a 25% relative reduction in the risk for stroke among participants receiving folate and B vitamins vs placebo"
• Vitamin B-12 Function May Be Diminished By Excessive Folate - Science Daily, 12/21/07 - "homocysteine and methylmalonic acid are at much higher levels in individuals who have a combination of vitamin B12 deficiency and high blood folate levels than in individuals who are also vitamin B12 deficient but have normal folate levels"
• Excess folate worsens B12 deficiency effects: study - Nutra USA, 12/19/07 - "Finding that the combination of high blood folate levels and low vitamin B12 status is associated with even higher levels of these compounds is a strong indication that the high folate is interfering with the action of these B12-containing enzymes, thus resulting in the exacerbation or worsening of the vitamin B12 deficiency"
• Folate may reduce depression symptoms for men, says study - Nutra USA, 12/7/07 - "male subjects with the highest average intake (235 micrograms per 100 kcal) were 50 per cent less likely to have depressive symptoms than men with the lowest average intake (119 micrograms per 100 kcal)" - [Abstract] - See iHerb folic acid products.
• Increased B12 levels could ward off dementia - Nutra USA, 11/16/07 - "The longitudinal cohort study followed 1648 participants for 10 years, and found a doubling in holotranscobalamin (holoTC) concentrations was associated with a 30 per cent slower rate of cognitive decline ... increased levels of the amino acid homocysteine doubled the risk of dementia or cognitive impairment" - [Abstract] - See iHerb vitamin B12 products.
• Folic Acid in Preconceptual Period May Have a Preventive Effect on Congenital Heart Disease - Doctor's Guide, 11/6/07 - "The recent increase in folic acid intake has resulted in a decrease in the prevalence of infants born with severe congenital heart disease (CHD), supporting the idea that folic acid taken preconceptually may prevent CHD"
• Riboflavin boosts folate's colorectal cancer protection - study - Nutra USA, 10/29/07
• Mesalamine, Folic Acid Each Cut Colorectal Cancer in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease - oncologystat.com, 10/24/07 - "Patients who took at least 1 mg of folic acid daily also had about a 90% cut in their CRC incidence during follow-up, compared with the controls" - See iHerb folic acid products.
• Folic Acid Lowers Blood Arsenic Levels, Study Shows - Science Daily, 10/8/07 - "treatment with 400 micrograms a day of folic acid, the U.S. recommended dietary allowance, reduced total blood arsenic levels in the study population by 14 percent"
• Pantethine: A Better Cholesterol Treatment? - Dr. Weil, 10/8/07
• Increased folate may slash breast cancer risk - Nutra USA, 8/9/07 - "women in the highest average intake group (456 micrograms of folate per day) had a 44 per cent lower risk of invasive breast cancer than women in the lowest average intake group (160 micrograms of folate per day)"  [Abstract]
• Vitamin B1 Deficiency Key To Vascular Problems For Diabetic Patients, Study Suggests - Science Daily, 8/7/07 - "thiamine concentration in blood plasma was decreased 76% in type 1 diabetic patients and 75% in type 2 diabetic patients ... the decreased availability of thiamine in vascular cells in diabetes was linked to a marker of microvascular and macrovascular complications"
• Too Much (Good-for-You) Folate Might Be Really Bad - US News and World Report, 8/5/07 - "Cells use folate to keep their genetic software—their DNA—in good repair and to make copies of DNA when they divide. DNA is less likely to develop the sorts of defects that lead to cancer when it's well maintained, so folate may lower cancer risk in people who are healthy. But once a defect is present, experts theorize, replicating cancer cells hungrily gobble up folate to make new copies of their malevolent DNA"
• Selective Vitamin Supplementation May Improve Cognitive Functions - Clinical Psychiatry News, 6/07 - "Supplementation with vitamins B6 and B12 and folate in younger to middle-aged adults improves motor speed and sequencing ability on neuropsychological tests ... participants who took the supplements performed the task significantly faster than they had a month before, which indicated increased motor speed. The placebo group patients had no improvement on this test ... Among people who entered the trial with vitamin B12 levels on the low end of the normal range, those who received supplementation significantly improved their performance on the Trail Making Test Parts A and B. Part B includes some assessment of executive function"
• Folate may reduce liver damage study - Nutra USA, 7/6/07 - "higher red blood cell folate levels were associated with a 67 per cent reduced risk of liver cancer" - [Abstract] - See iHerb folic acid products.
• Folic acid 'reduces stroke risks' - BBC News, 5/31/07 - "They found the vitamin reduced the relative risk of stroke by an average of 18% ... An even greater risk reduction - 30% - was seen when the treatment lasted more than 36 months"
• Folic Acid May Lower Stroke Risk - WebMD, 5/31/07
• High Folate Intake May Lower AD Risk - Clinical Psychiatry News, 2/07 - "The risk of AD decreased with increasing intake of folate but not of vitamins B6 or B12"
• Folate And B12 May Influence Cognition In Seniors - Science Daily, 2/12/07 - "People with normal vitamin B12 status performed better if their serum folate was high ... But for people with low vitamin B12 status, high serum folate was associated with poor performance on the cognitive test ... For seniors, low vitamin B12 status and high serum folate was the worst combination"
• Folic acid effects two-faced depending on B12 levels, says study - Nutra USA, 1/31/07 - "In this study of older Americans in the age of folic acid fortification, we found direct associations between high serum folate and both anaemia and cognitive impairment in subjects with low vitamin B12 status ... Among subjects with normal vitamin B12 status, on the other hand, high serum folate was associated with protection from cognitive impairment"
• Folic Acid Improves Cognitive Performance in Older Adults - Medscape, 1/19/07 - "Patients were randomized to either placebo or 800 µg daily of folic acid for 3 years ... 3 years of treatment with folic acid conferred on individuals resulted in the performance of someone 4.7 years younger for memory, 1.7 years younger for sensorimotor speed, 2.1 years younger for information processing speed, and 1.5 years younger for global cognitive function"
• Higher Folate Levels Linked To Reduced Risk For Alzheimer's Disease - Science Daily, 1/9/07 - "Folate, vitamin B12 and vitamin B6, are important in the body's processing of homocysteine--therefore, deficiencies in these nutrients increase homocysteine levels and may contribute to cardiovascular disease, stroke and dementia ... When the individuals were divided into four groups based on the total level of folate they took in through food and supplements and the analysis was adjusted for patient characteristics, comorbid diseases and B12 and B6 intake, the risk of Alzheimer's disease was lower in the groups with higher intake" - See iHerb or Vitacost folic acid products.
• Folic Acid May Slow Hearing Loss - WebMD, 1/2/07 - "Half the study participants got strong folic acid supplements -- 800 micrograms per day, about twice what one would get in a multivitamin pill ... After three years, those who got folic acid pills had less low-frequency hearing loss than did placebo recipients"
• Poor Athletic Performance Linked To Vitamin Deficiency - Science Daily, 12/27/06 - "Current national B-vitamin recommendations for active individuals may be inadequate, and athletes who follow the recommended daily allowances set by the U.S. government may be receiving lower amounts of nutrients than there bodies need"
• Research Affirms the Benefits of Combination of Chromium Picolinate and Biotin for Improving Blood Sugar in People with Type 2 Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 12/20/06 - "The 30-day study examined 36 overweight or obese poorly controlled patients with type 2 diabetes taking Diachrome who were already receiving oral anti-diabetic drug(s). The results also showed a significantly greater reduction in the total area under the curve for glucose (AUCg) during the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) for the treatment group (mean change -9.7%) compared with the placebo group (mean change +5.1%)"
• Use Folic Acid To Cut Heart Disease, Say Experts - Science Daily, 11/28/06 - "The scientific evidence is strong enough to justify using folic acid as a cheap and simple way of reducing heart disease and strokes"
• Folic Acid Modestly Protects Against Cardiovascular Events - Medscape, 11/27/06 - "the combined evidence from cohort, genetic, and randomized controlled studies is indeed strong enough to support a modest protective effect of this nutrient"
• Low Folate Diets Found To Increase Risk Of Colorectal Cancer - Science Daily, 11/14/06 - "None of the mice fed a control diet developed tumours whereas 1 in 4 mice on the folate-deficient diet developed at least one tumour"
• Encouraging Results For Folic Acid As A Cancer Prevention Drug - Science Daily, 6/12/06 - "31 of 43 patients with the precancerous laryngeal lesion called leucoplakia demonstrated 50 percent or greater reduction in the lesion size after six months of taking folate supplements. In 12 of 31 responders, there was no evidence of the original lesion ... Folate deficiency is the most common vitamin deficiency in the United States"
• Vitamin B6 May Help Prevent Colorectal Cancer - Medscape, 6/10/06 - "There was an inverse association between vitamin B6 intake and colorectal cancer, with the relative risk (RR) for the highest quintile vs the lowest quintile being 0.66 ... Vitamin B6 may have a role in colorectal cancer prevention through reduction of oxidative stress and synthesis of a form of folate required for DNA repair, synthesis, and methylation"
• Does your heart need more vitamin B? - MSNBC, 6/2/06
• Folic Acid May Cut Stroke Deaths - WebMD, 3/13/06 - "In the U.S. and Canada, stroke deaths declined at a faster rate after mandatory folic acid (also known as folate) fortification"
• Treating Hair Loss Naturally - WebMD - "Daly says he routinely recommends up to 3 mg of biotin daily for his hair loss patients, while Lessman developed a healthy hair, skin, and nails product containing 2 mg of biotin per daily dosage, which he believes is the minimum for healthy hair"
• Thiamin Deficiency Common in Hospitalized Heart Failure Patients - Doctor's Guide, 1/13/06 - "Among patients hospitalized with heart failure, about one in three has deficient levels of thiamin ... a relatively small dose of thiamin from a multi-vitamin was protective against developing thiamin deficiency"
• Folic Acid to Boost Memory? - Dr. Weil, 12/13/05 - "those who took the folic acid had memory scores equal to people five and a half years younger"
• Do you get enough vitamin B-12? - MSNBC, 11/18/05 - "Now, a new concern about vitamin B-12 has arisen. It seems that adults over the age of 50 may have a reduced ability to absorb it ... A high intake of folate from fortified grains can hide the changes in red blood cells that show a lack of vitamin B-12" - See iHerb or Vitacost Vitamin B12 products.
• Veggies May Keep an Aging Brain Sharp - WebMD, 9/28/05
• Leafy Green Vegetables May Help Keep Brains Sharp Through Aging - Science Daily, 9/26/05 - "men who obtained more folate in their diets showed significantly less of a decline in verbal fluency skills over the course of three years than did men with lower dietary folate intake ... High folate levels, both in the diet and in the blood, also appeared to be protective against declines in another category of cognitive skills known as spatial copying"
• Folates More Effective In Limiting Alzheimer's Disease Risk Than Antioxidants, Other Nutrients - Science Daily, 8/17/05 - "folates appear to have more impact on reducing Alzheimer's risk than vitamin E, a noted antioxidant, and other nutrients considered for their effect as a brain-aging deterrent" - See iHerb or Vitacost folic acid products.
• Folate May Reduce Risk of Alzheimer's Disease - WebMD, 8/15/05 - "older adults whose total folate intake (diet and supplement) equaled or exceeded the 400 microgram RDA reduced their chances of developing Alzheimer's disease by 55%" - See iHerb or Vitacost folic acid products.
• Supplemental Chromium Picolinate and Biotin Appear to Decrease Blood Glucose and Lipid Levels in Type 2 Diabetics: Presented at ADA - Doctor's Guide, 6/17/05 - "Our most important finding is that chromium picolinate and biotin help to decrease hemoglobin A1c [HbA1c] values in poorly controlled diabetics ... 600 mcg chromium picolinate and biotin 2 mg/per day" - See iHerb or Vitacost biotin products.
• Vitamin B6 May Help Prevent Colorectal Cancer - Medscape, 6/10/05 - "those in the highest quintile had a 34% lower risk of colorectal cancer (multivariate rate ratio"
• High vitamin B intake cuts risk of colorectal cancer - Nutra USA, 6/6/05
• Vitamin B-6 May Help People Avoid Colon Cancer - WebMD, 5/3/05 - "The risk of colorectal cancer was 44% lower for the women with the highest blood level of vitamin B-6 compared with women with the lowest level of vitamin B-6"
• Fight Osteoporosis: Bone Up On B12 - Science Daily, 4/23/05 - "This study suggests adequate vitamin B12 intake is important for maintaining bone mineral density"
• Folate and Vitamin B12 Prevent Hip Fracture in Stroke Patients - Medscape, 3/25/05 - "The magnitude of benefit is similar to that found in trials of alendronate and raloxifene, with considerably less potential risk. The fact that BMD did not change suggests the benefit derives from quality, rather than quantity, of bone"
• B Vitamins (including Thiamin, Niacin, B-6, B-12, Riboflavin and Folate) review - ConsumerLab.com, 4/5/05
• Folic acid: It's not just for your baby’s health - MSNBC, 4/4/05 - "The younger group of women (ages 25 to 42) who consumed 1000 micrograms of folic acid through foods and supplements had a 46 percent decrease in their risk of developing hypertension as compared to those women who consumed less than 200 micrograms ... older group of women (ages 30 to 55) 1000 micrograms of folic acid was found to decrease risk of developing hypertension to a lesser extent — 18 percent" - See iHerb or Vitacost folic acid products.
• Folic Acid and Vitamin B12 Decrease Risk of Hip Fracture in Stroke Patients - Doctor's Guide, 3/1/05 - "Patients who took folic acid and vitamin B12 after their stroke had a reduced risk of hip fracture compared to patients who took placebo"
• Preventing Heart Disease and Depression with High-Dose Folic Acid - Life Extension Magazine, 3/05 - "High-dose folic acid—up to 5000 mcg daily—is a scientifically substantiated and safe nutritional approach to achieving optimal health in men and women who want to prevent or reverse chronic illness. With demonstrated benefits in reducing cardiovascular risk factors, preventing and enhancing treatment outcomes in depression, and preventing cancer, folic acid is highly indicated as a therapeutic ally for men and women of all ages"
• Folic Acid May Prevent Hypertension in Addition to Reducing the Risk of Birth Defects - Doctor's Guide, 2/24/05 - "younger women who consumed at least 1,000 micrograms per day of total folic acid (dietary plus supplemental) had a 46 percent decreased risk of hypertension, compared with those who consumed less than 200 micrograms a day of total folic acid. Older women with high total folic acid intake also had an 18 percent reduced risk of hypertension"
• Folate Lowers Risk of High Blood Pressure - WebMD, 10/11/04 - "Young women with very low dietary folate who got their folate from vitamin supplements had a 39% lower risk of high blood pressure compared with young women who did not take folate supplements"
• High Vitamin B12 Levels May be Linked to Better Treatment Outcome for Major Depressive Disorder - Doctor's Guide, 1/5/04 - "Low levels of folate have also been associated with a poor response to antidepressive therapy ... patients with greater HDRS responses had higher vitamin B12 levels both at baseline (r = 0.39, P < .001) and at 6 months ... The positive relationship between higher vitamin B12 levels and improved HDRS score was also confirmed by linear regression analysis" - [Abstract]
• Vitamin B12 might be an answer for depression - Time Magazine, 12/15/03 - "the patients who responded best to treatment were those who had higher concentrations of B12 in their blood"
• Folic Acid Cuts Children's Cancer - WebMD, 9/29/03 - "neuroblastoma rates dropped by 60% since folic acid was added to flour"
• The Chromium Connection - Natural Foods Merchandiser, 9/03 - "The body requires certain nutrients to control glucose metabolism, especially chromium, zinc and vitamins B and C" - See iHerb or Vitacost chromium products.
• Cancer Fighter: Vitamin B-6 - Physician's Weekly, 8/11/03 - "Washington State University researchers suggest that consuming more vitamin B-6 can ward off cancer. The vitamin converts folate to a form the body can use to produce thymine, a component of DNA"
• Higher Folate Levels Correlate with Improved Outcome for SSRI-Treated Geriatric Patients - Doctor's Guide, 7/16/03 - "Geriatric patients who are treated with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) sertraline appear to experience greater improvement in depression if they have higher than normal folate levels at the start of therapy"
• Vegetarian Diet and B12 Deficiency - WebMD, 6/18/03 - "92% of the vegans they studied -- those who ate the strictest vegetarian diet, which shuns all animal products, including milk and eggs -- had vitamin B12 deficiency. But two in three people who followed a vegetarian diet that included milk and eggs as their only animal foods also were deficient"
• Low Folate Concentrations Associated With Depression - Doctor's Guide, 5/2/03 - "Physically healthy people who are depressed have detectably lower folate status than those who are not depressed" - See iHerb or Vitacost folic acid products.
• Adding Folates Alters Methotrexate Treatment In Rheumatoid Arthritics - Doctor's Guide, 4/21/03 - "The researchers found the addition of folates to MTX treatment was strongly linked with lack of hepatotoxicity"
• B-Vitamins Prove Effective In Relieving Chronic Pain - Intelihealth, 4/10/03 - "B-vitamins, such as thiamin (B1), pyridoxine (B6), and cyanocobalamin (B12), have been proven to be clinically effective in treating various painful conditions such as lumbago, sciatica, trigeminal neuralgia, facial paralysis and optic neuritis as acting as an analgesia (pain reliever)"
• Folate, Vitamin B6 Reduce Breast Cancer Risk Among Moderate Drinkers - WebMD, 3/4/03 - "They found women with the highest folate levels were 27% less likely to have breast cancer than those with the lowest folate levels. And the reduction in breast cancer risk was much greater among women who drank about one glass of wine or a cocktail per day. These moderate drinkers with high folate levels were 89% less likely to develop breast cancer than those who drank less than one drink per day ... Women with high levels of vitamin B6 also had about a 30% lower risk of breast cancer than those with low levels of this nutrient. Although high levels of vitamin B12 seemed to protect premenopausal women against breast cancer, the effect was not found among postmenopausal women"
• Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia: Vitamins Can Help Prevent - WebMD, 2/28/03 - "High levels of a substance in the blood called homocysteine tops the list of potentially new risk factors for heart disease, stroke, and now dementia. A new study suggests that high homocysteine levels are linked with mental declines associated with Alzheimer's disease in elderly people ... High homocysteine levels can be treated very easily with vitamins, including folate, niacin, and B-12"
• Low Levels of Serum Vitamin B May Be Related to Helicobacter Pylori Infection - Doctor's Guide, 2/14/03 - "Of 25 subjects with vitamin B >145-180 pg/mL, 92% were seropositive ... Eighty-nine percent of the 47 subjects with vitamin B greater than 180-250 pg/mL were found to be seropositive compared with 51%, 31 out of 61, of subjects with B less than 250 pg/mL" - [abstract] - See the abstract.  I think they are talking about vitamin B12.
• Canadian Folic Acid Supplementation Cuts in Half the Rate of Neural Tube Defects - Doctor's Guide, 12/19/02 - "A Canadian public-health initiative to enrich cereal grain foods with folic acid has halved the prevalence of neural-tube defects among both unborn and newborn children"
• Folic Acid Improves Endothelial Function And Blood Pressure In Smokers - Doctor's Guide, 12/18/02 - "Smokers were randomly assigned to receive either 5 milligrams of folic acid or placebo every day ... Mean blood pressure was significantly reduced from 88 ± 2 to 83 ± 1 mmHg in those patients who received supplementation" - Seems like they could have tested non-smokers for the same effect while they were at it.  5 points is probably half of what you'd get from the standard dose of most anti-hypertensive medications. - Ben
• Mechanisms Differ Between Depression and Either Vitamin B12 Or Folate - Doctor's Guide, 12/10/02 - "hyperhomocysteinemia, vitamin B12 deficiency and, to a lesser extent, folate deficiency all were related to depressive disorders"
• I’ve heard that receiving weekly B-12 shots can help your metabolism. Any truth to it? - Dr. Weil, 12/4/02
• Argument Strengthens For Folic Acid To Reduce Homocysteine Level - Doctor's Guide, 11/26/02 - "A decrease in serum homocysteine of 3 micromol/l, which can be achieved by a daily intake of about 0.8 mg folic acid, should reduce the risk of ischaemic heart disease by 16 percent, deep vein thrombosis by 25 percent, and stroke by 24 percent" - See iHerb or Vitacost folic acid products.
• Folic Acid for Your Heart - WebMD, 11/22/02 - "By increasing folic acid intake and thus decreasing homocysteine, the researchers say the risk of heart disease would drop by 16%, blood clots in the legs by 25%, and stroke by 24%" - See iHerb or Vitacost folic acid products.
• Folic Acid Could Prevent Heart Disease - Intelihealth, 11/22/02
• More Antioxidants, Less Fat May Reduce Alzheimer's Risk - Clinical Psychiatry News, 10/02 - "Data are now strong enough to recommend a dietary strategy for reducing Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk that includes low fat intake and high consumption of fish and antioxidants, along with vitamin E, folic acid, and vitamins B6 and B12 supplements"
• Low Folic Acid Linked to Miscarriage - WebMD, 10/15/02
• B Vitamins Protect Heart Patients: The Best Evidence Yet - New Hope Natural Media, 9/12/02
• Folic Acid May Have Benefits for Smokers - Doctor's Guide, 9/13/02 - "randomised to four weeks of folic acid 5 mg/day or placebo ... Results showed that folic acid reduced homocysteine concentrations (10.8+/-0.6 versus 7.9+/-0.5 µmol/L, p<0.001) and there was a significant reduction in blood pressure (mean BP 88+/-2 versus 83+/-1 mmHg, p<0.01) ... Benefits also seem to be largely independent of the lowering of homocysteine concentrations"
• Homocysteine-Lowering Therapy [folic acid, vitamin B12 and vitamin B6] Improves Revascularisation, Angioplasty Outcome - Doctor's Guide, 8/28/02
• Natural Remedies for Osteoarthritis: Now, More than Ever - New Hope Natural Media, 8/15/02 - "Some doctors recommend niacinamide (vitamin B3)"
• Older Vegetarians Should Take Extra Vitamin B12 - Doctor's Guide, 8/7/02 - "Forty-two percent of participants had definite vitamin B12 deficiency, defined as vitamin B12 level less than 150 pmol/L and MMA ³ 0.4 µmol/L. Another 32.8 percent of the women had possible vitamin B12 deficiency" - See iHerb or Vitacost Vitamin B12 products.
• Folate Supplements May Help Restore Endothelial Function In Type 2 Diabetics - Doctor's Guide, 8/1/02
• New Views on Atherosclerosis - Life Extension Magazine, 8/02 - "A drug company has patented a product called FOLTX that cardiologists are now prescribing to their patients for the purpose of lowering homocysteine. Each tablet of FOLTX contains: 2.5 mg of folic acid, 1.0 mg of vitamin B12, 25 mg of vitamin B6.  The cost for 90 tablets of FOLTX from www.drugstore.com is $38.08—or about double the retail price of these same potencies of vitamins when purchased in a health food store"
• Folic Acid Fights Colon Cancer - WebMD, 7/19/02
• Folic Acid Supplement Reduces Cell Proliferation In High Risk Colorectal Cancer Patients - Doctor's Guide, 7/18/02 - "Patients at high risk of colorectal cancer could cut their risk dramatically with a daily supplement of 2 mg of folic acid" - See iHerb or Vitacost folic acid products.
• Higher Folate Levels May Help Protect Against Vascular Disease in Children with Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 7/18/02 - "High folate levels may protect children with type I diabetes from vascular damage"
• Dietary Folate May Reduce Stroke Risk - Medscape, 7/5/02
• Biotin Supplement Needed During Pregnancy - New Hope Natural Media, 6/20/02 - "Preliminary studies have suggested that biotin in large amounts (such as 5 to 16 mg per day) can help control blood sugar levels or improve nerve damage in diabetics. In a study of individuals with dry, splitting nails, supplementation with 2.5 mg of biotin per day improved the quality of the nails in 63% of those treated. Improvement was seen after an average of two months, although some individuals did not see results until they had taken biotin for four months." - Note:  Biotin is expensive so most multi's cut you short on that B vitamin.
• Herbal Assisted Weight Loss Causes Neurological Ailment In Woman - Intelihealth, 6/11/02 - "The disorder is known to stem from a deficiency of vitamin B1, or thiamine, essential for carbohydrate metabolism"
• An Anti-Atherosclerosis Aid For Adults With Hyperhomocysteinemia? - Doctor's Guide, 6/7/02 - "One year of folic acid supplementation was found to be linked with a significant increase in the subjects' mean plasma folate levels and a significant decline in their homocysteine levels ... Study authors suggest the findings demonstrate long-term folic acid improves arterial endothelial function and has potential implications for prevention of atherosclerosis in people with hyperhomocysteinemia"
• Women Unaware of Folic Acid Benefits - WebMD, 6/4/02 - "only 31% of women between the ages of 18 and 45 take a folic acid supplement every day, despite the fact that the vitamin has been shown to dramatically reduce the risk of serious birth defects ... In fact, only 10% of women realize that the B vitamin folic acid must be taken prior to pregnancy to prevent birth defects of the brain and spine known as neural tube defects ... it takes about a month for the vitamin to provide the maximum benefit"
• Low Vitamin B Status Prevalent In Alzheimer Patients - Doctor's Guide, 6/4/02 - "low vitamin B6 status is prevalent in patients with AD"
• Vitamins Fight Alzheimer's - WebMD, 5/28/02 - "There's new evidence that a substance found in blood can cause the type of brain and blood vessel deterioration that leads to dementia. But those same studies also show that taking certain vitamins can lower levels of this substance -- homocysteine -- and ward off the damage, possibly preventing Alzheimer's disease ... This is exciting information, because homocysteine levels can be reduced by taking the vitamins B6, B12, and folic acid"
• Homocysteine Levels Higher, Serum Vitamin B12 Lower In Vegetarians - Doctor's Guide, 5/27/02 - "Vegetarians have considerably higher levels of total plasma homocysteine, greater prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia and lower levels of serum vitamin B12 than do non-vegetarians"
• Serum Folate And Estradiol Levels Interact In Alzheimer's Disease - Doctor's Guide, 5/13/02 - "a high ratio of estradiol to total estrogens is linked with AD. At the same time, in women with a high ratio, the severity of dementia is lower in those with high serum folate levels ... If this association is causal, then supplementation with folic acid may have a role in future studies of estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) in Alzheimer's disease (AD)"
• Homocysteine, B Vitamins Associated With Cognitive Function In The Elderly - Doctor's Guide, 5/10/02
• Adjunct Folinic Acid For Depressed Patients With Inadequate SSRI Response - Doctor's Guide, 5/8/02 - "Investigators report that patient folate levels rose. Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-17 (HAM-D-17) scores among 16 patients who completed the study decreased"
• Foods Rich In Folate May Reduce Risk Of Stroke - Intelihealth, 5/3/02
• Folate Fights Stroke and Heart Disease - WebMD, 5/2/02 - "people who consumed at least 300 mcg of folate every day had a 20% lower risk of stroke and a 13% lower risk of cardiovascular disease than those consuming less than 136 mcg of folate per day ... Folate is also thought to offset risk of cardiovascular disease, by reducing levels of homocysteine in the blood. Homocysteine is linked with higher risk of atherosclerosis because it damages arteries, but vitamins B-6 and B-12, as well as folic acid, have been found to prevent that damage from occurring"
• Foods Rich In Folate May Reduce Risk Of Stroke - Intelihealth, 5/2/02
• Nutrition Affects Thinking in Elderly - WebMD, 4/25/02 - "In this study of healthy elderly people, higher concentrations of folic acid and vitamin B-12 were associated with increased memory and thinking ability"
• Supplements Boost Sperm Count - WebMD, 3/20/02 - "Researchers found that the men with fertility problems who took 5 mg of folic acid a day and 66 mg of zinc sulfate a day for 26 weeks had a 74% increase in total normal sperm count"
• Folic Acid May Help Prevent Alzheimer's - WebMD, 3/1/02
• Folic Acid Possibly A Key Factor In Alzheimer's Disease Prevention - Intelihealth, 3/1/02
• In Praise of Folic Acid - Time Magazine, 2/25/02 - "folic acid plays a crucial role in the development of just about every cell in the body ... subjects who had high levels of a particular amino acid called homocysteine in their blood were twice as likely to develop Alzheimer's as those who didn't. The finding is important because one of the easiest ways to lower homocysteine levels is to get plenty of folic acid ... There is no risk of overdose, although high levels of folic acid can mask the signs of pernicious anemia in people who have developed the disorder" - The way I understand it, taking vitamin B12 with the folic acid will avoid that problem. - Ben
• New Alzheimer's Risk Factor Identified - WebMD, 2/13/02 - "High blood levels of a substance called homocysteine have been linked to an increased risk for both heart attack and stroke. Now, new research finds it to be a major risk factor for Alzheimer's disease and other age-related dementias ... It is known that B-vitamins like folic acid, B-6, and B-12 lower homocysteine levels"
• Mix B-12 and Folic Acid for Heart Health - WebMD, 1/18/02 - "Folic acid alone reduces the level of a potentially harmful amino acid in the blood, called "homocysteine." When elevated, homocysteine has been shown to raise the risk of heart disease and stroke. In fact, some heart experts consider homocysteine to be a very important risk factor ... But adding vitamin B-12 to the mix "is likely to be much more effective in lowering homocysteine concentrations,""
• Vitamin B12 Plus Folic Acid Significantly Reduces Homocysteine Levels - Doctor's Guide, 1/17/02 - "This finding suggests that a fortification policy based on folic acid and vitamin B12, rather than folic acid alone, is likely to be much more effective in lowering homocysteine concentrations"
• Folic Acid [deficiency] Linked to Parkinson's Disease - WebMD, 1/17/02 - "The latest research shows that mice on a low-folic-acid diet are much more likely to get Parkinson's disease than mice on a normal diet ... The researchers were able to finger homocysteine as the likely culprit behind the loss of brain cells"
• Pregnancy Vitamins Cut Leukemia in Kids - WebMD, 12/6/01 - "Moms who used both folic acid and iron supplements in pregnancy were 60% less likely to have a child develop leukemia"
• Folic acid and vitamin B12 save lives and money - Life Extension Magazine, 11/01 - "supplementation with folic acid and vitamin B12 would result in a tremendous increase in health and longevity of the American population at a low cost, while saving 24 billion dollars in healthcare costs over the coming decade ... folic acid could lower homocysteine by 25%; the addition of vitamin B12 led to a further 7% drop"
• The Wizard is Oz - Life Extension Magazine, 11/01 - "Best-selling author and nutritional guru to the rich and famous, Oz Garcia is singing the praises of the Life Extension Foundation and its products in his newest book, The Healthy High Tech Body, published in September 2001 ... Supplements at the top of Garcia's list of recommendations ... DHA ... NADH ... Alpah Lipoic Acid ... Acetyl-L-Carnitine ... An expanded list of his recommendations includes lycopene, gamma tocopherol, vinpocetine, SAMe, folic acid, carnosine, glutathione, DMAE, Huperzine A, probiotics, MSM, secretagogues, arginine pyroglutamate, IP-6, bioflavonoid formulas and grape skin/seed extracts"
• Folate Cost-Effective For Prevention Of Coronary Artery Reblockage - Intelihealth, 11/29/01 - "The vitamin therapy included a combination of folic acid (also known as folate or vitamin B9), vitamin B12, and vitamin B6. Patients who received the vitamins had significantly lower levels of homocysteine, and lower rates of restenosis and cardiac complications"
• High Dose Oral Folic Acid Acutely Improves Endothelial Function in Coronary Artery Disease - Doctor's Guide, 11/14/01 - "Although high-dose folic acid (5 mg daily) improves endothelial function in CAD patients, it is controversial as to whether this improvement is due to homocysteine lowering or other direct actions of folic acid"
• Can a Mix of Chromium and Biotin Help Diabetics Control Blood Sugar? - WebMD, 10/15/01
• Memory vitamins - Life Extension Magazine, 9/01 - "Folate and vitamin B12 work together to enhance cognition"
• Folic Acid Doesn't Increase Miscarriage Risk - WebMD, 9/6/01
• Pharmaceutical Drugs Deplete Folic Acid - Nutrition Science News, 9/01
• Many Women Still Don't Take Folic Acid Before Conception - WebMD, 9/5/01
• Folic Acid/Vitamin B12 Show Potential as Heart Disease Treatments - Doctor's Guide, 8/22/01
• Battling Heart Disease with B Vitamins - Life Extension Magazine, 8/01 - "Studies to date have shown that folic acid alone may reduce heart disease risk by as much as 30% to 40%, primarily through its ability to lower homocysteine. In fact, folic acid has been deemed the mainstay of treatment for hyperhomocysteinaemia (elevated homocysteine).(5) However, folic acid works best when teamed up with vitamin B12, which enhances the benefits of folic acid supplementation"
• Could Nicotinamide And Vitamin E Have Synergistic Effect And Reduce Insulin Usage? - Doctor's Guide, 7/11/01 - "The combination of nicotinamide and vitamin E might have a synergistic effect in lowering daily insulin usage among newly diagnosed Type 1 diabetics"
• Alzheimer's Disease May Be Linked to Deficiencies in Vitamin B12 or Folate - Doctor's Guide, 5/8/01
• Folic Acid May Reduce Age-Related Memory Problems - WebMD, 4/27/01 - "High homocysteine levels were independently associated with poor performance on the memory tests, as were low levels of the vitamin folic acid. Folic acid, or folate, has been shown to significantly lower homocysteine levels ... a cocktail of three vitamin supplements -- folic acid, B12, and B6 -- can dramatically lower homocysteine levels, even in those who get the recommended levels of the vitamins in their diets ... Homocysteine levels naturally increase as you age ... Jacobsen, 62, recommends taking 400-800 mcg of folic acid every day and 25-100 mg of vitamin B6. He says it is not clear if B12 supplementation is beneficial in younger people, but it does appear to benefit those over 50. He takes 500 mcg of B12 each day"
• Decreased Memory After Age 60 Linked To High Homocysteine Levels - Doctor's Guide, 4/26/01 - "High circulating levels of homocysteine, especially with increasing age, have been associated with cognitive impairment. In recent studies, Alzheimer disease and dementia after multiple strokes have been linked to extremely high serum homocysteine concentrations ... The folate status of the participants was an important consideration because folate has been shown to significantly modify homocysteine levels"
• Multivitamin With Folic Acid May Reduce Homocysteine More Than With Folic Acid Alone - Doctor's Guide, 4/20/01 - "the supplement containing 800 micrograms of folic acid reduced homocysteine levels by nearly 50 percent while the supplement containing 160 micrograms of folic acid had no significant effect above placebo"
• Pre-conception Advice on Folic Acid Supplementation Recommended - Doctor's Guide, 4/16/01 - "Only about one-quarter of pregnant women currently begin folic acid supplementation early enough to reduce the risk of neural tube defects"
• Synthetic Folate Trumps Food Form - Nutrition Science News, 3/01 -"folic acid may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease via its ability to reduce homocysteine, an undesirable blood protein. It also prevents birth defects, which a new finding says may be attributed, in part, to folic acid's ability to reduce circulating homocysteine levels ... natural folic acid does not match up to synthetic"
• Sustain the Brain - Nutrition Science News, 2/01
• Vitamins May Help Patients With High Homocysteine Levels - Doctor's Guide, 12/18/00
• Folic Acid and Vitamin B-12 May Help Prevent Heart Disease - WebMD, 12/11/00
• Vitamin B12: Surprising New Findings - Life Extension Magazine, 12/00
• Study confirms benefits of folic acid in pregnancy - CNN, 11/30/00
• Folic Acid Strikes Again, Study Shows Vitamin Protects Against Birth Defects Linked to Common Drugs - WebMD, 11/29/00
• Folic Acid Supplementation Reduces Methotrexate Complications - Doctor's Guide, 10/30/00
• Americans May Be Low in B12 - Nutrition Science News, 10/00
• Women Need a Folic Acid Fix - WebMD, 10/3/00
• Folic Acid Reduces Defects - Intelihealth, 10/3/00
• Drugs That Deplete- Nutrients That Heal - Life Extension Magazine, 7/00 - "Another sad case of drug-induced nutrient deficiency involves the depletion of folic acid (also known as folate and folacin) by a myriad of commonly used drugs. These include aspirin and other salicylates, ibuprofen, indomethacin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatories. Celebrex unfortunately also depletes folic acid. Methotrexate, used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and various cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma, is notorious for depleting folic acid. Likewise, the use of corticosteroids, barbiturates such as phenobarbitol, sulfa drugs such as Bactrim, certain antibiotics, diuretics and oral contraceptives can cause a deficiency of folic acid. The widely used anticonvulsive drug Dilantin (phenytoin) and related drugs also deplete folic acid."
• Folic Acid and the Heart Turning Into Fast Friends - WebMD, 8/31/00
• 3 B's Block Cardiovascular Disease - Nutrition Science News, 7/00
• Fish Oil, Vitamin B-12 May Offer Relief During That Time of the Month - WebMD, 6/20/00
• Nicostatin (Niacin/Lovastatin) Reduces Cholesterol, Triglyceride Levels - Doctor's Guide, 3/16/00
• Niaspan (Niacin Extended-Release) Raises HDL Twice As Much as Gemfibrozil - Doctor's Guide, 3/14/00 (Note: Extended release niacin has been shown to cause liver damage).
• Gemfibrozil-Niacin Combination Greatly Increases Good Cholesterol - Doctor's Guide, 3/10/00
• Niacin for Achy Joints - Nutrition Science News, 11/99
• Folic Acid May Fight Down Syndrome - Intelihealth, 9/29/99
• Study Links Vitamin B Deficiency To Risk Of Stroke In Younger Women - Doctor's Guide, 8/30/99
• Study Finds "New" Cholesterol (Homocysteine) Is Key To Heart Disease - Intelihealth, 5/19/99
• Thiamine Deficiency Linked To Malaria - Doctor's Guide, 2/12/99
• March of Dimes promotes B vitamin to curb birth defects - CNN, 1/28/99
• Folic Acid During Pregnancy Does Not Cause Multiple Births - Doctor's Guide, 1/22/99
• Thiamine's Mood-Mending Qualities - Nutrition Science News, 1/99
• Elevated Homocysteine Levels May Be Possible Risk Factor For Alzheimer Disease - Doctor's Guide, 10/20/98
• Study: Vitamin B-6 may help reduce heart disease - CNN, 7/20/98
• Homocysteine A Possible Risk Factor For Alzheimer's - Doctor's Guide, 4/29/98
• Study: Folic acid boost could save 50,000 lives a year - CNN, 4/9/98
• Report Urges Supplemental Folic Acid For Women of Childbearing Age - Doctor's Guide, 4/8/98
• Natural Sugar-Phosphate Compound Shows Promise In Cancer - Doctor's Guide, 3/30/98 (See IP-6)
• B-Vitamins May Reduce Vessel Damage In Stroke Patients - Doctor's Guide, 2/9/98
• Advice to childbearing-age women: Take more folic acid - CNN, 2/18/97

Abstracts:

• Effect of Coenzyme Q(10), Riboflavin and Niacin on Tamoxifen treated postmenopausal breast cancer women with special reference to blood chemistry profiles - Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2008 Apr 22 - "Tamoxifen (TAM) ... TAM also has estrogenic activity on liver and endometrium causing severe oxidative stress with various biochemical derangements. Coenzyme Q(10), Riboflavin and Niacin (CoRN) are well-known potent antioxidants and protective agents against many diseases including cancer ... A statistically significant alteration in various blood chemistry parameters, such as serum total bilirubin (S. BIL), serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT), gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (gamma-GT), uric acid (UA), lipoprotein lipase (LPL), lecithin: cholesterol acyl transferases (LCAT), potassium, calcium and Na(+), K(+)-ATPase in sole TAM-treated group, was favorably reverted back to near normal levels on combinatorial therapy with CoRN" - See coenzyme Q10 products at iHerb.
• Folate and MTHFR: risk of adenoma recurrence in the Polyp Prevention Trial - Cancer Causes Control. 2008 Mar 6 - "Low dietary folate intake has been associated with colorectal cancer risk and adenoma recurrence. A C/T transition at position 677 in the gene encoding methlylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR C677T) has been reported to interact with folate intake to modulate colorectal adenoma recurrence or cancer risk ... In general, no statistically significant associations were found between quartile of folate intake (dietary or total) and adenoma recurrence ... No significant interaction was noted for total folate and MTHFR genotype, though an increased risk of recurrence noted for the MTHFR CT genotype was statistically significant only for those individuals with below median intake of total folate"
• Is folic acid good for everyone? - Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Mar;87(3):517-33 - "Folate has a dual effect on cancer, protecting against cancer initiation but facilitating progression and growth of preneoplastic cells and subclinical cancers"
• Hepatoprotective effect of vitamin b(12) on dimethylnitrosamine-induced liver injury - Biol Pharm Bull. 2008 Feb;31(2):309-11 - "Vitamin B(12) decreased the blood levels of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase, and clearly inhibited the overaccumulation of collagen fibrils ... vitamin B(12) could be an effective hepatoprotective agent" - Note:  Aspartate aminotransferase is the AST reading on blood tests and alanine aminotransferase is the ALT.
• Effects of folic acid and N-acetylcysteine on plasma homocysteine levels and endothelial function in patients with coronary artery disease - Acta Cardiol. 2007 Dec;62(6):579-85 - "either folic acid 5 mg or NAC 600 mg or placebo daily for eight weeks ... endothelium-dependent dilation (EDD) ... Folic acid and NAC therapies decreased plasma homocysteine (from 21.7 +/- 8.7 micromol/l to 12.5 +/- 2.5 micromol/l, P < 0.001; from 20.9 +/- 7.6 micromol/l to 15.6 +/- 4.3 micromol/l, P = 0.03, respectively), and increased EDD (6.7 +/- 6.1% P = 0.002, 4.4 +/- 2.6% P < 0.001, respectively) compared with placebo. There was no significant difference in improving EDD between the folic acid and the NAC group"
• Dietary vitamin b6 intake and the risk of colorectal cancer - Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2008 Jan;17(1):171-82 - "Moderately strong inverse and dose-dependent associations in the whole sample were found between CRC risk and the intake of dietary and total vitamin B6 in all three models [model III: odds ratio (OR), 0.77; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 0.61-0.98; P for trend = 0.03; OR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.69-1.07; P for trend = 0.12]. In addition, meta-analyses of published studies showed inverse associations between vitamin B6 and CRC (combined relative risk, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.68-0.96; test for overall effect P = 0.01; combined odds ratio, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.60-0.75; test for overall effect P < 0.00001)"
• Folic acid supplementation in early second trimester and the risk of preeclampsia - Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2008 Jan;198(1):45.e1-7 - "Supplementation of multivitamins containing folic acid was associated with increased serum folate (on average 10.51 micromol/L), decreased plasma homocysteine (on average 0.39 micromol/L), and reduced risk of preeclampsia (adjusted odds ratio, 0.37; 95% confidence interval, 0.18-0.75)" - See iHerb folic acid products.
• Vitamin B6 treatment for tardive dyskinesia: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study - J Clin Psychiatry. 2007 Nov;68(11):1648-54 - "The mean decrease in ESRS clinical global impression scores from baseline to endpoint was 2.4 points in patients treated with vitamin B(6) and 0.2 points in patients treated with placebo (p < .0001). The mean decrease in the parkinsonism subscale score was 18.5 points and 1.4 points, respectively (p < .00001), and the mean decrease in the dyskinesia subscale score was 5.2 points and -0.8 points, respectively ... Vitamin B(6) appears to be effective in reducing symptoms of TD. The specific mechanisms by which vitamin B(6) attenuates symptoms of TD are not clear"
• Association of folate intake with the occurrence of depressive episodes in middle-aged French men and women - Br J Nutr. 2007 Dec 6;:1-5 - "the risk of experiencing recurrent depressive episodes (two or more) during the follow-up was strongly reduced in men with high folate intake (OR 0.25 (95 % CI 0.06, 0.98) for the highest tertile v. the lowest" - See iHerb folic acid products.
• Low vitamin B-12 status and risk of cognitive decline in older adults - Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Nov;86(5):1384-91 - "concentrations of holoTC (a marker of reduced vitamin B-12 status), tHcy, and MMA predicted cognitive decline, but folate did not. A doubling in holoTC concentrations (from 50 to 100 pmol/L) was associated with a 30% slower rate of cognitive decline (-0.137 to -0.083), whereas a doubling in tHcy (from 10 to 20 mumol/L) or MMA (from 0.25 to 0.50 mumol/L) was associated with >50% more rapid cognitive decline (-0.090 to -0.169) and (-0.104 to -0.169), respectively" - See iHerb vitamin B12 products.
• Low vitamin B-12 status and risk of cognitive decline in older adults - Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Nov;86(5):1384-91 - "Low vitamin B-12 status was associated with more rapid cognitive decline"
• Homocysteine, vitamins, and vascular disease prevention - Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Nov;86(5):1563S-8S - "Dietary deficiency of vitamin B-6 and folic acid and absorptive deficiency of vitamin B-12, which result from traditional food processing or abnormal absorption of B vitamins, are important factors in causing elevations in blood homocysteine. Numerous clinical and epidemiologic studies have established elevated blood homocysteine as a potent independent risk factor for vascular disease in the general population. Dietary improvement, providing abundant vitamin B-6, folic acid, and cobalamin, may prevent vascular disease by lowering blood homocysteine. The dramatic decline in cardiovascular mortality in the United States since 1950 may possibly be attributable in part to voluntary fortification of the food supply with vitamin B-6 and folic acid. Fortification of the US food supply with folic acid in 1998, as mandated by the US Food and Drug Administration, was associated with a further decline in mortality from vascular disease, presumably because of increased blood folate and decreased blood homocysteine in the population"
• Low vitamin B6 and folic acid levels are associated with retinal vein occlusion independently of homocysteine levels - Atherosclerosis. 2007 Oct 16 - "Retinal vein occlusion (RVO) is one of the most common retinal vascular disorders ... Blood levels of vitamin B6, folate and Hcy, but not of vitamin B12, were found to be significantly different in patients as compared to healthy subjects. At the univariate analysis, the lowest tertile of vitamin B6 [odds ratio (OR) 4.03; 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.58-6.31; P<0.0001)] and folate (OR 6.13; 95% CI 3.85-9.76, P<0.0001), and the highest tertile of Hcy (OR 8.08; 95% CI 5.05-12.92, P<0.0001) were found to be significantly associated with RVO. Moreover, at multivariate analysis, after adjustment for traditional cardiovascular risk factors, Hcy, and circulating levels of vitamins, respectively, the lowest tertile of vitamin B6 (OR 3.29; 95% CI 1.89-5.70, P<0.0001) and folate (OR 5.41; 95% CI 3.08-9.51, P<0.0001) and the highest tertile of Hcy (OR 2.58; 95% CI 1.12-5.94, P<0.0001) maintained their significant association with RVO"
• Augmenting antidepressants with folate: a clinical perspective - J Clin Psychiatry. 2007;68 Suppl 10:4-7 - "Folate in particular has been found to further reduce symptoms in patients with depression when used in conjunction with an antidepressant, and because folate is a water-soluble B vitamin, its safety and tolerability are well established. This strategy would typically be used in patients with low plasma or red blood cell folate levels. Folate augmentation may be used (1) to enhance the efficacy of antidepressants in nonresponders, (2) to enable those who partially respond to antidepressant monotherapy to achieve remission, and (3) to alleviate residual symptoms during antidepressant treatment" - See iHerb folic acid products.
• The role of folate in depression and dementia - J Clin Psychiatry. 2007;68 Suppl 10:28-33 - "folate deficiencies may be caused by improper absorption and utilization, often due to genetic polymorphisms. Individuals, therefore, can have insufficient levels or lack needed forms of folate, despite adequate intake. Supplementation with the active form of folate, methyltetrahydrofolate, which is more readily absorbed, may be effective in the prevention and treatment of both depression and dementia" - iHerb folic acid products.
• B Vitamin Plasma Levels and the Risk of Ischemic Stroke and Transient Ischemic Attack in a German Cohort - Stroke. 2007 Sep 20 - "Our data suggest that low vitamin B12 plasma levels, particularly in combination with low folate levels, increase the risk of cerebral ischemia. This effect may be mediated at least partly through elevations of homocysteine levels"
• Prevalence of and risk factors for vitamin B(12) deficiency in patients with Crohn's disease - Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2007 Sep 20 - "Vitamin B(12) abnormalities are common in patients with CD and patients with a prior ileal or ileocolonic resection are at particular risk" - See iHerb Vitamin B12 products.
• Review of the role of hyperhomocysteinemia and B-vitamin deficiency in neurological and psychiatric disorders - Fortschr Neurol Psychiatr. 2007 Sep;75(9):e1-e18 - "Elevated concentration of total homocysteine (Hcy) in plasma (> 12 micromol/l) is a risk factor for several diseases of the central nervous system. Epidemiological studies have shown a dose-dependent relationship between concentrations of Hcy and the risk for neurodegenerative diseases. Hcy is a marker for B-vitamin deficiency (folate, B (12), B (6)). Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) causes hypomethylation which is an important mechanism that links Hcy to dementia ... Current evidence suggests that Hcy-lowering treatment has a positive effect for the secondary and primary prevention of stroke. HHcy is very common in patients with Parkinson disease particularly those who receive L-dopa treatment. Furthermore, a positive association has been reported between HHcy and multiple sclerosis. Moreover, HHcy and vitamin B deficiency are reported to have a causal role in depression, and epilepsy. In addition several anti-epileptic drugs cause secondary HHcy. Therefore, sufficient intakes of the vitamins are recommended for patients who have already developed neuropsychiatric diseases. Vitamin B deficiency should be suspected in children with development disorders, failure to thrive and unexplained neurological manifestations. Elderly people are also an important at-risk group where vitamin B deficiency and HHcy have been linked to neurodegenerative diseases. Treatment with folate, B (12), and B (6) can improve cerebral function. Preventive vitamin B supplementation and sufficient intake seem very important for secondary and primary prevention of neuropsychiatric disorders, especially in subjects with a low intake or status of the vitamins"
• Plasma folate concentration and cognitive performance: Rotterdam Scan Study - Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Sep;86(3):728-34 - "After multivariate adjustment, the mean change in test score per 1-SD increase in plasma folate was 0.05 (95% CI: 0.01, 0.09) for global cognitive function, 0.08 (95% CI: 0.04, 0.13) for psychomotor speed, and 0.02 (95% CI: -0.04, 0.07) for memory function ... The odds ratio relating a 1-SD increase in plasma folate to the presence compared with the absence of severe white matter lesions was 0.79 (95% CI: 0.66, 0.94), whereas no relation was seen between folate status and hippocampal or amygdalar volume" - See iHerb folic acid products.
• Effect of dietary B vitamins on BMD and risk of fracture in elderly men and women: The Rotterdam Study - one. 2007 Aug 17 - "As compared to the three lowest quartiles, individuals in the highest quartile of age- and energy-adjusted dietary pyridoxine intake had a decreased risk of non-vertebral fractures (HR=0.77, 95% CI=0.65-0.92, p=0.005) and of fragility fractures (HR=0.55"
• Folate: in vitro and in vivo effects on VLDL and LDL oxidation - Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 2007 Jan;77(1):66-72 - "folic acid supplementation reduced tHcy and protected both VLDL and LDL against oxidation. These findings provide further support for the use of folic acid supplements to aid in the prevention of atherosclerosis"
• High folate intake is associated with lower breast cancer incidence in postmenopausal women in the Malmo Diet and Cancer cohort - Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Aug;86(2):434-43 - "Compared with the lowest quintile, the incidence of invasive breast cancer was reduced in the highest quintile of dietary folate intake (HR: 0.56; 95% CI: 0.35, 0.90; P for trend = 0.02); total folate intake, including supplements (HR: 0.56; 95% CI: 0.34, 0.91; P for trend = 0.006); and dietary folate equivalents (HR: 0.59" - See iHerb folic acid products.
• Efficacy of folic acid supplementation in stroke prevention: a meta-analysis - Lancet. 2007 Jun 2;369(9576):1876-82 - "Folic acid supplementation significantly reduced the risk of stroke by 18%"
• Correlations between folate, B12, homocysteine levels, and radiological markers of neuropathology in elderly post-stroke patients - J Am Coll Nutr. 2007 Jun;26(3):272-8 - "folate deficiency and hyperhomocysteinemia are prevalent in elderly post-stroke patients. These two conditions are strongly and independently associated with the development of brain atrophy"
• Blood folate levels and risk of liver damage and hepatocellular carcinoma in a prospective high-risk cohort - Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2007 Jun;16(6):1279-82 - "When comparing persons in the lowest quartile RBC folate to persons in all other quartiles, the analysis found that higher RBC folate levels were associated with reduced risk of hepatocarcinogenesis (odds ratio, 0.33" - See iHerb folic acid products.
• Effects of folic acid and vitamin B complex on serum C-reactive protein and albumin levels in stable hemodialysis patients - Curr Med Res Opin. 2007 Jun 29 - "Folic acid and vitamin B complex co-administration effectively lowers tHcy and hs-CRP levels and increases albumin levels in stable hemodialysis subjects, underscoring their potential benefit to attenuate the state of inflammation and possibly improve the nutritional status in patients on hemodialysis"
• Low Intake of Vitamin B-6 Is Associated with Increased Risk of Colorectal Cancer in Japanese Men - J Nutr. 2007 Jul;137(7):1808-1814 - "We observed a significant inverse association between vitamin B-6 intake and colorectal cancer in men. Compared with the lowest quartile, the multivariate hazard ratio (95% [CI]) in the highest quartile of intake was 0.69"
• Effect of folic Acid on endothelial function following acute myocardial infarction - Am J Cardiol. 2007 Feb 15;99(4):476-81 - "6-week treatment with high-dose folic acid improves endothelial function in post-AMI patients, independent from homocysteine status. Folic acid can be recommended to improve postinfarction endothelial dysfunction in patients with normo- and hyperhomocysteinemia"
• Effect of 3-year folic acid supplementation on cognitive function in older adults in the FACIT trial: a randomised, double blind, controlled trial - Lancet. 2007 Jan 20;369(9557):208-16 - "Folic acid supplementation for 3 years significantly improved domains of cognitive function that tend to decline with age"
• Vitamin B6 supplementation increases immune responses in critically ill patients - Eur J Clin Nutr. 2006 Oct;60(10):1207-13 - "T-lymphocyte and T-helper cell numbers and the percentage of T-suppressor cell significantly increased on day 14 in the B6 -50 group. Total lymphocyte count, T-helper and T-suppressor cell numbers, the percentage of T-lymphocyte cells and T-suppressors significantly increased in the B6 -100 group at the 14th day"
• B-vitamins reduce plasma levels of beta amyloid - Neurobiol Aging. 2006 Nov 17 - "Elevated plasma homocysteine (tHcy) is a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD), and thus B vitamins may have a role in the prevention of AD. The objective of this study was to determine if tHcy lowering vitamins decrease the circulating levels of A-beta protein 1-40 (Abeta40). We randomized 299 older men to treatment with 2mg of folate, plus 25mg of B6 and 400mug of B12, or placebo. After 2 years of treatment the mean (S.E.) increase of Abeta40 was 7.0pg/ml (8.4) in the vitamin group (4.9%), and 26.8pg/ml (7.7) (18.5%) in the placebo group. We conclude that B vitamins may decrease the plasma level of Abeta40 and have a role in the prevention of AD"
• High- but not low-dose folic acid improves endothelial function in coronary artery disease - Eur J Clin Invest. 2006 Dec;36(12):850-9 - "Both 400 microg day(-1) and 5 mg day(-1) FA significantly increased plasma folate and decreased plasma Hcy. The FMD improved significantly after 6 weeks' treatment of 5 mg day(-1) FA but did not correlate with the reduction in Hcy. There was no change in FMD in either the 400 microg FA or placebo group"
• Folic acid improves endothelial dysfunction in type 2 diabetes--an effect independent of homocysteine-lowering - Vasc Med. 2006 May;11(2):101-9 - "2 weeks of folic acid supplementation can improve endothelial dysfunction in type 2 diabetics independent of homocysteine-lowering" - See iHerb or Vitacost folic acid products.
• Folate and vitamin b6 rapidly normalize endothelial dysfunction in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus - Pediatrics. 2006 Jul;118(1):242-53 - "High-dose folate and vitamin B(6) normalized endothelial dysfunction in children with type 1 diabetes. This effect was maintained over 8 weeks, with no additional benefit from combination treatment"
• Loss of vision as a presenting sign of cobalamin deficiency: An eye-opener - Eur J Intern Med. 2006 Jul;17(4):292-4 - "We describe a patient who presented with loss of vision that turned out to be caused by cobalamin deficiency. Both her vision and her visual field improved upon supplementation of cobalamin. It is, therefore, important to consider cobalamin deficiency as a treatable cause of loss of vision" - Note:  Cobalamin is vitamin B12.
• Older Adults May Need B12 Dose More Than 200 Times the RDA to Normalize Mild Vitamin Deficiency - Medscape, 5/26/06 - "As both methylmalonyl-coenzyme A (MMA) and homocysteine are metabolized by vitamin B12, elevated levels of these compounds in the plasma can reflect vitamin deficiency ... One analysis yielded 500 μg of vitamin B12 as the minimum dose necessary to produce the greatest effect on MMA levels. There was little additional benefit in using daily doses of vitamin B12 of more than 500 μg"
• Effect of nicotinamide on newly diagnosed type 1 diabetic children - Acta Pharmacol Sin. 2006 Jun;27(6):724-7 - "even low doses of oral NA given to children with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes may reduce insulin requirements and prolong the honeymoon period"
• Oral vitamin B12 versus intramuscular vitamin B12 for vitamin B12 deficiency: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials - Fam Pract. 2006 Apr 3 - "The evidence derived from these limited studies suggests that 2000 microg doses of oral vitamin B12 daily and 1000 microg doses initially daily and thereafter weekly and then monthly may be as effective as intramuscular administration in obtaining short-term haematological and neurological responses in vitamin B12-deficient patients"
• Folic acid supplementation for 3 wk reduces pulse pressure and large artery stiffness independent of MTHFR genotype - Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Jul;82(1):26-31 - "5 mg folic acid/d ... Folic acid reduced brachial pulse pressure by 4.7 ... Folic acid is a safe and effective supplement that targets large artery stiffness and may prevent isolated systolic hypertension" - See iHerb or Vitacost folic acid products.
• Reducing toxicity of methotrexate with folic acid - Z Rheumatol. 2005 Jun;64(5):353-8 - "Folate supplementation should, the