Dietary Pattern Is Associated with Homocysteine and B Vitamin Status in an Urban Chinese Population

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a relatively common and often severe mood disorder that develops in women after childbirth. The aetiology of PPD is unclear, although there is emerging evidence to suggest a psychoneuroimmune connection. Additionally, deficiencies in n-3 PUFA, B vitamins, vitamin D and trace minerals have been implicated. This paper reviews evidence for a link between micronutrient status and PPD, analysing the potential contribution of each micronutrient to psychoneuroimmunological mechanisms of PPD. Articles related to PPD and women's levels of n-3 PUFA, B vitamins, vitamin D and the trace minerals Zn and Se were reviewed. Findings suggest that while n-3 PUFA levels have been shown to vary inversely with PPD and link with psychoneuroimmunology, there is mixed evidence regarding the ability of n-3 PUFA to prevent or treat PPD. B vitamin status is not clearly linked to PPD, even though it seems to vary inversely with depression in non-perinatal populations and may have an impact on immunity. Vitamin D and the trace minerals Zn and Se are linked to PPD and psychoneuroimmunology by intriguing, but small, studies. Overall, evidence suggests that certain micronutrient deficiencies contribute to the development of PPD, possibly through psychoneuroimmunological mechanisms. Developing a better understanding of these mechanisms is important for guiding future research, clinical practice and health education regarding PPD.

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The Stimulation of Neurogenesis Improves the Cognitive Status of Aging Rats Subjected to Gestational and Perinatal Deficiency of B9–12 Vitamins

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms21218008 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 21 (21) ◽

pp. 8008

Author(s):

Grégory Pourié ◽

Nicolas Martin ◽

Jean-Luc Daval ◽

Jean-Marc Alberto ◽

Rémy Umoret ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Body Weight ◽

Cognitive Status ◽

Vitamin Deficiency ◽

Developmental Defects ◽

Rat Pups ◽

Vitamin Status ◽

Neonatal Stimulation ◽

B Vitamin ◽

In The Beginning ◽

Stimulation Of

A deficiency in B-vitamins is known to lead to persistent developmental defects in various organs during early life. The nervous system is particularly affected with functional retardation in infants and young adults. In addition, even if in some cases no damage appears evident in the beginning of life, correlations have been shown between B-vitamin metabolism and neurodegenerative diseases. However, despite the usual treatment based on B-vitamin injections, the neurological outcomes remain poorly rescued in the majority of cases, compared with physiological functions. In this study, we explored whether a neonatal stimulation of neurogenesis could compensate atrophy of specific brain areas such as the hippocampus, in the case of B-vitamin deficiency. Using a physiological mild transient hypoxia within the first 24 h after birth, rat-pups, submitted or not to neonatal B-vitamin deficiency, were followed until 330-days-of-age for their cognitive capacities and their hippocampus status. Our results showed a gender effect since females were more affected than males by the deficiency, showing a persistent low body weight and poor cognitive performance to exit a maze. Nevertheless, the neonatal stimulation of neurogenesis with hypoxia rescued the maze performance during adulthood without modifying physiological markers, such as body weight and circulating homocysteine. Our findings were reinforced by an increase of several markers at 330-days-of-age in hypoxic animals, such as Ammon’s Horn 1hippocampus (CA1) thickness and the expression of key actors of synaptic dynamic, such as the NMDA-receptor-1 (NMDAR1) and the post-synaptic-density-95 (PSD-95). We have not focused our conclusion on the neonatal hypoxia as a putative treatment, but we have discussed that, in the case of neurologic retardation associated with a reduced B-vitamin status, stimulation of the latent neurogenesis in infants could ameliorate their quality of life during their lifespan.

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Effect of a voluntary food fortification policy on folate, related B vitamin status, and homocysteine in healthy adults

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition ◽

10.1093/ajcn/86.5.1405 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 86 (5) ◽

pp. 1405-1413 ◽

Cited By ~ 58

Author(s):

Leane Hoey ◽

Helene McNulty ◽

Nadina Askin ◽

Adrian Dunne ◽

Mary Ward ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Healthy Adults ◽

Food Fortification ◽

Vitamin Status ◽

B Vitamin

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Ratios of One-Carbon Metabolites Are Functional Markers of B-Vitamin Status in a Norwegian Coronary Angiography Screening Cohort

Journal of Nutrition ◽

10.3945/jn.116.244657 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 147 (6) ◽

pp. 1167-1173 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Arve Ulvik ◽

Steinar Hustad ◽

Adrian McCann ◽

Øivind Midttun ◽

Ottar K Nygård ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Coronary Angiography ◽

Functional Markers ◽

Vitamin Status ◽

B Vitamin

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MTRR 66 and SHMT1 1420 Variants Are Associated with Optic Disc Edema During 30-d Strict Head-down Tilt Bed Rest and CO2 Exposure (P24-036-19)

Current Developments in Nutrition ◽

10.1093/cdn/nzz044.p24-036-19 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Scott Smith ◽

Steven Laurie ◽

Millennia Young ◽

Sara Zwart

Keyword(s):

Optic Disc ◽

Structural Changes ◽

Space Station ◽

Bed Rest ◽

Nucleotide Polymorphisms ◽

Optic Disc Edema ◽

Disc Edema ◽

Vitamin Status ◽

German Aerospace ◽

B Vitamin

Abstract Objectives Some astronauts returning from missions to the International Space Station (ISS) have developed ophthalmic structural changes, including optic disc edema. Incidence of optic disc edema among astronauts has been linked to one-carbon pathway genetic variants and B-vitamin status. A recent 30-d 6-degree head-down tilt bed rest study in which all subjects were exposed to 0.5% CO2 documented the occurrence of optic disc edema in 5 of 11 subjects. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of one-carbon pathway genetics and B-vitamin status on the incidence of optic disc edema in the bed rest subjects. Methods The study was conducted at the : envihab facility at the German Aerospace Center in Cologne, Germany. Subjects (6 M/5F) were healthy volunteers, 33 ± 8 y (mean ± SD), having a mean BMI of 23.4 ± 2.2 kg/m2. After a 14-d ambulatory phase in a standard environment (i.e., not hypercapnic), a blood sample was collected to assess vitamin status and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with one carbon metabolism. We focused on two SNPs (rs1801394, MTRR 66 and rs1979227, SHMT1 1420) based on our earlier findings in astronauts (Zwart et al., FASEB J, 30:141–8, 2016). The 30-d bed rest began after collection of this sample. Optical coherence tomography images were collected before, during (days 15 and 30), and after (6 and 13 days after reambulation) bed rest, and the change in total retinal thickness (TRT) at various distances from Bruch's membrane opening (BMO) was evaluated against the number of MTRR A66G G alleles and SHMT1 C1420T C alleles. Results The change in TRT at various distances from the BMO in bed rest subjects exposed to mild hypercapnia and headward fluid shifts was strongly associated with the number of MTRR 66 G and SHMT1 1420 C alleles. Conclusions This finding may increase understanding of mechanisms involved in optic disc edema in astronauts and patients on Earth, and hence lead to development of targeted countermeasures. Funding Sources This work was funded by the NASA Human Health Countermeasures Element of the NASA Human Research Program.

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The Effect of Whey and Soy Protein Isolates on Cognitive Function in Older Australians with Low Vitamin B12: A Randomised Controlled Crossover Trial

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu11010019 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 19 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Ian Zajac ◽

Danielle Herreen ◽

Kathryn Bastiaans ◽

Varinderpal Dhillon ◽

Michael Fenech

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Function ◽

Vitamin B12 ◽

Soy Protein ◽

Crossover Trial ◽

Soy Protein Isolate ◽

Protein Isolate ◽

Cognitive Improvement ◽

Vitamin Status ◽

Randomised Controlled ◽

B Vitamin

Whey protein isolate (WPI) is high in vitamin B12 and folate. These and other related markers (holotranscobalamin, methylmalonic acid and homocysteine) have been linked with cognitive health. This study explored the efficacy of WPI for improving cognitive function via delivery of vitamin B12. Moderately vitamin B12-deficient participants aged between 45 and 75 years (n = 56) were recruited into this randomised controlled crossover trial. Participants (55% female) consumed 50 g whey (WPI; active) or soy protein isolate (SPI; control) for eight weeks. Following a 16-week washout phase, they consumed the alternative supplement. Consumption of WPI significantly improved active B12 and folate status but did not result in direct improvements in cognitive function. However, there was evidence of improvement in reaction time (p = 0.02) and reasoning speed (p = 0.04) in the SPI condition for females. Additional analyses showed that changes in active B12, HcY and folate measures during WPI treatment correlated with improvements in cognitive function (all p < 0.05). Results indicate that WPI itself did not result in improved cognitive function but some evidence of benefit of SPI for females was found. However, consistent with previous research, we present further evidence of a role for active B12, HcY and folate in supporting cognitive improvement in adults with low B vitamin status.

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