Folic Acid and Vitamin B12 Supplementation Lowers Plasma Homocysteine but has no Effect on Serum Bone Turnover Markers in Elderly Women: A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Trial
Irena Keser, Jasminka Z. Ilich, Nada Vrkic, Zlatko Giljevic, Irena Colic Baric
European Journal of Nutrition & Food Safety · pp. 1163–1164 · Published 14 Aug 2015
10.9734/EJNFS/2015/21301Abstract
Objectives: An elevated homocysteine level is a newly recognized risk factor for osteoporosis. Older individuals may have elevated homocysteine levels due to inadequate folate intake and/or lower absorption of vitamin B12. The aim of this study was to determine whether there is an impact of folic acid and vitamin B12 supplementation on homocysteine levels and, subsequently, on bone turnover markers in older women with mildly to moderately elevated homocysteine levels. Methods: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial included 31 women (65 to 93 years) with homocysteine levels greater than 10 μmol/L. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either a daily folic acid (800 μg) and vitamin B12 (1000 μg) (n = 17) or a matching placebo (n = 14) for 4 months. Results: The results showed significantly lower homocysteine concentrations in the vitamin group compared to the placebo group (10.6 vs 18.5 μmol/L, P = 0.007). No significant difference in serum alkaline phosphatase or C-terminal cross-linking telopeptide of type I collagen was found between the vitamin and placebo groups before or after supplementation. Conclusions: The use of folic acid and vitamin B12 as a dietary supplement to improve homocysteine levels could be beneficial for older women, but additional research must be conducted in a larger population and for a longer period to determine if there is an impact of supplementation on bone turnover markers or other indicators of bone health.
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