A new study has found a strong link between low levels of vitamin B12 and chronic inflammation—a condition that plays a role in many serious health problems like heart disease, diabetes, and brain disorders.
This research, published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, looked at how vitamin B12 affects inflammation in both people and mice. The scientists focused on two important signs of inflammation in the body: interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP).
Earlier studies had suggested that vitamin B12 might help lower inflammation, but the exact connection was unclear. This new research helps to fill in that gap.
The team started by studying data from a large clinical trial in Spain called PREDIMED. This trial originally looked at how the Mediterranean diet affects heart health. The researchers used blood samples from the participants to check their vitamin B12 levels and compare them with the levels of IL-6 and CRP.
What they found was clear: people with higher levels of vitamin B12 had lower levels of inflammation. This is important because it suggests that getting enough vitamin B12 might help prevent or manage inflammation.
Chronic inflammation is known to contribute to a wide range of health issues, especially those related to the heart, metabolism, and the brain. If vitamin B12 helps lower inflammation, it could play a role in reducing the risk of these conditions.
Even though the study didn’t just focus on people who were clearly deficient in vitamin B12, it still shows how important it is to keep B12 levels in a healthy range.
Vitamin B12 is already known to be crucial for healthy nerves and brain function. Now, this research shows that it may also help explain why a B12 deficiency can lead to other health problems.
The researchers plan to continue their studies. They want to test more people, include a wider range of ages and backgrounds, and see if there are differences between men and women. They also hope to learn how health issues like infections, obesity, and digestive problems affect the link between B12 and inflammation.
Eventually, this could help experts create better guidelines for how much vitamin B12 people should get and how to prevent chronic inflammation.
The study also showed that there are some differences between how humans and mice react to low vitamin B12 levels as they age. These differences might help scientists find better ways to prevent B12 deficiency in older adults, who are more likely to have low B12 and higher levels of inflammation.
In short, this study shows how important vitamin B12 is—not just for energy and brain health, but also for protecting the body from harmful inflammation. It reminds us that what we eat has a big effect on our overall health.
As researchers learn more about how B12 affects inflammation, it could lead to new ways to prevent and treat diseases that are linked to long-term inflammation.
This study is a step forward in showing how vital good nutrition is for staying healthy and avoiding illness.
If you care about nutrition, please read studies that whole grain foods could help increase longevity, and vitamin D supplements strongly reduce cancer death.
For more information about nutrition, please see recent studies about natural coconut sugar that could help reduce blood pressure and artery stiffness, and whey and soy protein may reduce inflammation in older people.
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