Enough Vitamin B?

The presence of vitamins, particularly vitamin B, is important for maintaining control of our metabolic processes. Many of these vitamins act as cofactors for different enzymes in the body, and a deficiency in these compound can lead to many different diseases including anemia. As it turns out, vitamins are also extremely important for pregnant women.

Prenatal supplements often include vitamins to ensure that metabolism for both the mother and the child runs smoothly. Particularly, folate (vitamin B-9) has been established as a protective factor against neural tube defects in the fetus. Reports have also shown that low folate levels during pregnancy increase the risk of preterm birth and preeclampsia. In the United States, mandatory fortification of cereal-based products to prevent folic acid deficiency in women of fertile age in order to decrease the rates of neural tube defects in fetuses.

Folate is also implicated in 1-Carbon metabolism; folic acid activates the oxidation/reduction of single carbons. This process is important for amino acid metabolism and synthesis of DNA, RNA, membrane lipids, and neurotransmitters. Interestingly, maternal pregnancy folate levels have been associated with insulin resistance in children of 6 years old and greater adiposity in their offspring. Moreover, folic acid appears to play a role in the prevention of congenital heart disease and oral clefts. The fortification of cereals in the U.S. has been shown to significantly reduce the instances of spinal cord defects, which is a prime example of how public health initiatives can drastically change health outcomes.

Citation:

Greenberg, J. A., Bell, S. J., Guan, Y., & Yu, Y. (2011). Folic Acid Supplementation and Pregnancy: More Than Just Neural Tube Defect Prevention. Reviews in Obstetrics and Gynecology, 4(2), 52–59.

Solé-Navais, Pol, et al. “Early Pregnancy B Vitamin Status, One Carbon Metabolism, Pregnancy

Outcome and Child Development.” Biochimie, vol. 126, 2016, pp. 91–96., doi:10.1016/j.biochi.2015.12.003.