Lack of vitamin B linked to obesity

BABIES whose mothers do not get enough essential B vitamins around the time of conception may grow up predisposed to obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes, new research suggests.

A study of female sheep showed that reducing their intake of B12 and folic acid prior to pregnancy produced major physical effects in their future offspring.

At two years old the sheep were 25% fatter than normal, had significantly raised blood pressure, and showed signs of insulin resistance.

They also appeared to have altered and hypersensitive immune systems.

Males were far more affected than females. The sheep, the equivalent of 20 to 30 years old in human terms, are now being monitored to see how they progress.

Scientists believe there is a good chance of them becoming obese, prone to heart disease, and afflicted by Type 2 diabetes.

They think the same pattern might occur in humans, but is masked as people grow older because of the effects of diet and lifestyle.

The findings were published yesterday by the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Scientists discovered altered DNA in unborn lambs which they suspect is a causal factor.

Regions of DNA associated with gene regulation underwent subtle chemical changes in animals whose mothers were vitamin B deficient. More than half of these changes were specific to males.

The effects seen in the sheep are almost certainly mirrored in humans, since they share very similar metabolic systems.

Women are already advised to watch their intake of folic acid up to three months before pregnancy. Low folic acid consumption is associated with neural tube defects such as spina bifida.

Folic acid is found naturally in fruit and vegetables.

Vitamin B12 is known to be essential for the synthesis of red blood cells, the maintenance of a healthy nervous system, and healthy foetal development. It can be found in red meat, eggs and dairy products.

However, in the sheep study, levels of B12 and folic acid were only reduced by a small amount, and not enough to induce neural tube defects or other visible abnormalities.

“These were subtle reductions, within the range you would encounter in normal human populations,” said study leader Dr Kevin Sinclair, from the University of Nottingham.

“A number of surveys

in western Europe have shown that between 30% and 50% of intending mothers may be sub-optimal in terms of their B12 and folate (folic acid) consumption,” Dr Sinclair said.

He urged women to take the results seriously: “The message here is that women who intend to get pregnant should ensure they have a balanced diet.

“For folate, they should make sure they get enough green leafy vegetables. They should also eat moderate amounts of red meat, which is the best source of vitamin B12.”