Serum Homocysteine, B₁₂ and Folic Acid Concentration in Thai Overweight and Obese Subjects

Abstract

This study investigated levels of serum homocysteine, vitamin B12, folic acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin C, in 37 male and 112 female overweight and obese Thai volunteers (body mass index; BMI > or = 25.00), and 23 male and 90 female normal-weight Thai volunteers, who came for a physical check-up at the Out-patient Department, General Practice Section, Rajvithi Hospital, Bangkok from March to October of 2000. Data included anthropometric measurements and waist/hip ratios. All anthropometric variables, except height, were significantly higher for the overweight subjects than for the normal subjects. Statistically significantly higher levels of serum homocysteine were found in the overweight subjects. Serum homocysteine concentrations in overweight and obese males were significantly higher than in overweight and obese females. Serum folic acid and vitamin C in the overweight and obese were found to be statistically significantly lower than in the control subjects. No statistically significant difference in vitamin B12 was found in the overweight and obese subjects compared with the normal control subjects. The medians of serum folic acid and vitamin C concentrations for the overweight and obese males were significantly lower than those of the overweight and obese females. A negative correlation was found between serum folic acid and homocysteine concentrations in all overweight and obese subjects. A significant negative correlation between serum folic acid and vitamin B6 was observed in both male and female overweight and obese subjects. The results of the investigation suggest that homocysteine levels in overweight and obese subjects seem to be caused by insufficient dietary folic acid intake and probably not by B12 deficiency.

Multivitamin and dietary supplements, body weight and appetite: results from a cross-sectional and a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled study

“…This agrees with the recently reported lower 8-12 years body-weight gain in overweight or obese CS of multivitamins, vitamins B 6 , vitamin B 12 and Cr compared with NCS (4) . From a body-weight-regulation standpoint, these observations suggest that a sufficient intake of micronutrients, which have fundamental roles in energy metabolism (5) , might be needed to achieve energy balance stability.…”

“…Ca is a good example of this, as low consumption of this micronutrient has been shown to be inversely associated with body weight and adiposity in many studies (1 -3) . More recently, it was observed in a large cohort of 15 655 individuals that overweight or obese men and women who had a high consumption of multivitamins, vitamin B 6 , vitamin B 12 or Cr had gained less weight than those who had not consumed these supplements over 8-12 years (4) .…”

Pre-pregnancy obesity and maternal nutritional biomarker status during pregnancy: a factor analysis

“…But the two studies were in agreement that ascorbic acid, 25-hydroxyvitamin D and α-tocopherol (but only after lipid adjustment) were lower in obese women 26 . Other studies in non-pregnant populations have found inconclusive associations between BMI and micronutrients such as α-tocopherol 19, 20, 23 but strong associations between BMI and micronutrients such as vitamin D 27-31 and folate 9, 32, 33 . Additionally, there is evidence that maternal obesity increases the likelihood of poor vitamin D 34 and folate 35 status during pregnancy.…”

Measures of adiposity and body fat distribution in relation to serum folate levels in postmenopausal women in a feeding study

“…Mojtabai (2004) found that increased body mass index (BMI) in US women of childbearing age was associated with lower serum folate levels both before and after folic acid fortification. Tungtrongchitr et al (2003), reported that obese Thai subjects have lower serum folate than normal weight subjects. A study of obese adolescents in Austria (Gallistl et al, 2000) reported that serum folate correlated inversely with BMI.…”