Intakes of Vitamin B-12 from Dairy Food, Meat, and Fish and Shellfish Are Independently and Positively Associated with Vitamin B-12 Biomarker Status in Pregnant Dutch Women

Abstract

Background The effect of vitamin B-12 from different animal foods on vitamin B-12 biomarker status has not previously been evaluated in pregnant women. Objective We examined the association of vitamin B-12 intake from dairy, meat, fish (including shellfish), and eggs with circulating concentrations of vitamin B-12 biomarkers and with the presence of vitamin B-12 deficiency in 1266 pregnant women participating in the KOALA Birth Cohort Study. Methods Blood samples were collected in weeks 34–36 of pregnancy, and vitamin B-12 intake from foods and supplements was estimated with a semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Total vitamin B-12, holotranscobalamin (holoTC), and methylmalonic acid (MMA) were determined in plasma. Vitamin B-12 deficiency was defined as holoTC <35 pmol/L and MMA >0.45 μmol/L. Associations were evaluated with linear and logistic regression analyses, adjusting for potential confounders. Results Significant dose-response relations were observed between vitamin B-12 intake from dairy, meat, and fish and plasma vitamin B-12, holoTC, and MMA [P-trend for (shell)fish with MMA = 0.002; P-trend for dairy, meat, and fish with all other markers < 0.001]. The OR (95% CI) of vitamin B-12 deficiency in the third compared with the first tertile of dairy-derived vitamin B-12 was 0.13 (0.04, 0.49), and the ORs for vitamin B-12 from meat and fish were 0.33 (0.11, 0.97) and 0.25 (0.08, 0.82), respectively. Egg-derived vitamin B-12 was only associated with holoTC. Additional analyses showed that self-defined vegetarians and FFQ-defined lacto-ovo-vegetarians had lower median total dietary vitamin B-12 intake and considerably worse vitamin B-12 biomarker status than omnivores and pescatarians. Conclusions In pregnant Dutch women, higher intakes of vitamin B-12 from dairy, meat, and fish were positively associated with vitamin B-12 status, suggesting that dairy, meat, and fish are good sources of bioactive vitamin B-12 in pregnancy. Nevertheless, for (lacto-)vegetarians, vitamin B-12 supplementation is recommended.

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Vitamin B12 Deficiency among Pregnant Women in Rural Bangladesh

“…Another study among Dutch women during late pregnancy showed that vitamin B 12 intake from dairy, meat and fish, but not eggs was independently associated with plasma concentrations of total vitamin B 12 in a dose response manner. Furthermore, the intake of these foods was also independently associated with reduced odds of vitamin B 12 deficiency [ 47 ]. One of the reasons for the discrepancy between previous studies and our study could be due to the variations in the amount of vitamin B 12 intake from various animal source foods.…”

Intake of Fish and Marine n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Mortality: A Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies

“…Previous studies have shown the effectiveness of healthy dietary patterns and components for the prevention of CVD and other diseases [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]. Fish is rich in various nutrients (e.g., protein, vitamin D and polyunsaturated fatty acids) and may have a beneficial role in preventing CVD events [ 5 , 6 ].…”

Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin): Its Fate from Ingestion to Metabolism with Particular Emphasis on Diagnostic Approaches of Acquired Neonatal/Infantile Deficiency Detected by Newborn Screening

“…Strict vegan or vegetarian diet without supplementation might lead to vB12D, already after 4 weeks of dietary change from omnivore to strict vegan diet [5,6]. In a study involving Dutch pregnant women (at 34-36 weeks of pregnancy) of mixed population including omnivore, lacto-ovo vegetarians and vegans, the main source of Cbl were dairy products, while eggs as Cbl source represented the minority of dietary Cbl source [7].…”