What if I told you that low folate (B9) and vitamin B12
nourishment could be a precursor to the development of autism spectral
diseases? Would you make sure that your family and loved ones get enough of
these nutrients so that you would not have to worry about such disorders? A
recent study focused on children in Omani populations where data on these
vitamins were not that readily maintained, in order to learn more about the
correlations between low nourishment of B-vitamins with autism spectrum
disorders (ASD).
Prior to engaging with the experiment, a study protocol was performed for each of the participants’ mothers in which they were interviewed one on one. The meaning behind these interviews were designed to gain information regarding their children’s developmental milestones, socio-demographic background, and dietary history (including any vitamin supplementation), as well as other risk factors that could point to a predisposition to autism. I think this was a very important step to take in order to determine if there could be any potential outliers present, especially in the case of children with heavily affected family histories of ASD.
The results of this examination speak for itself. Children with ASD had consistently lower levels of folate and vitamin B12 in their diet and in their serum. A decrease in the activity of methionine synthase, for which folate and vitamin B12 are required cofactors, was observed and this indicates that their dietary and serum deficits have some functional consequence. However, it’s important to consider the region and population where this study was conducted. Reports suggest that deficiencies in these types of vitamins are common in Arab populations such as in Oman.
Studies like this are imperative to conduct because it demonstrates the importance of regulating nutrient intake for children who are malnourished in one way or the other. These findings demonstrate the importance of organizing available health and educational resources to ensure sufficient intake of relevant trace nutrients. Experiments like this could mobilize national programs promoting the importance of supplementation for pregnant women, thus reducing the cases of children with ASD. In terms of further studies, I would like to see if they could duplicate results similar to this with larger sample sizes in different countries. That would only reinforce the importance of gaining knowledge about the importance of these nutrients and how they can be better regulated in developing countries.
Read about it here
Works Cited
Al-Farsi,
Yahya, and Waly Mostafa. "Low Folate and Vitamin B12 Nourishment Is Common
in Omani Children with Newly Diagnosed Autism." Nutrition 29 (2014):
537-41. Print.
"Vitamins
- British Nutrition Foundation." Vitamins - British Nutrition Foundation.
British Nutrition Foundation, 8 Jan. 2015. Web. 10 Oct. 2015.
9. I’ve always heard great things about B9 and B12 supplements – I mean they are sold over-the-counter in any drugstore. Online sources say that B9 (folic acid) is likely effective for kidney disease, hyperhomocysteinemia, reducing the harmful effects of methotrexate, and even birth defects. Similarly, B12 is effectively for inherited vitamin B12 deficiency, pernicious anemia, cyanide poisoning, hyperhomocysteinemia and many others. Because B9 and B12 are vitamins that are essential to the body and must be ingested, what is the appropriate amount? On one end of the spectrum you could have low B-vitamin nourishment, and on the other you could overdose on it. What are some other risk factors that could predispose children to autism? Is B-vitamin deficiency the only contributing factor? Were environmental and genetic (family history) factors also taken into account in this study? I noticed that this case study was only included 80 children, which is a small sample size to make a concrete conclusion on these vitamins relation to autism. I would like to see further research conducted on this topic to support their hypothesis and to learn more about the causes and risk factors of autism. It is really important to educate people because autism could partially be prevented if a proper amount of B-vitamins are taken. Overall, a very interesting read.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of B12 deficiencies being a cause for autism! This is very interesting. Vitamins are absolutely essential for our bodies to work and develop properly so it makes sense. The study you referenced was pretty cool. The way the scientists went about collecting the information was vital to the credibility of their hypothesis. The area that this study took place made me slightly skeptical about the connection between autism and B12 deficiencies. It is likely that most children, autistic or not, from this area have a vitamin deficiency. It would be interesting to see a study like this done in a more developed country such as the United States. Bottom line, our bodies and the environment within them/around them is so extremely delicate. I feel as though a lot of us take it for granted!
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting topic, as autism is being studied more and more. It is interesting how this deficiency seems to be a common problem in children who have autism. Association does not imply causation though and I wonder if this deficiency is just something that goes along with autism without being a cause of it. Were the researchers able to determine? I also wonder if this deficiency and autism are associated so closely in other parts of the world. Couldn't the association be a result of something genetic in this relatively small and regionally isolated area? Eighty does not seem like a large enough sample size to determine causality either, though this study does propose several interesting questions regardless.
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ReplyDeleteBoth vitamin B9 and B12 are crucial in many biochemical processes within our bodies. Vitamin B9, or folic acid, is a vital cofactor, and is often recommended for pregnant women to ingest. It would be interesting to perform a study in which pregnant women in this area were given folic acid, and then observing if the appearance of autism within this region decreased. I would have never thought that these vitamins would have a correlation with autism, but if so, it opens a whole new window into possible therapies. As you stated, I also would like to see a study done in other countries where the levels of these vitamins were also monitored to see if it has any sort of correlation with the actual disorder or simply just the location of the study.
ReplyDeleteThis is very interesting, I agree that the sample size should be increased and that further testing should be done in other areas to see if other factors may have been contributing to the results obtained in this study. I'm just curious as to whether later supplementation would have any affect on the children with autism that were found to have lower levels of folate and vitamin B12 in their diet and serum. It would be interesting to see if their symptoms would improve when their vitamin levels were restored to proper amounts. Continued research certainly has to be done, however this is very exciting and opens many other areas to research and study for more information on autism spectrum disorders. It certainly shows the strong affects that vitamins have on the functioning of our bodies and the importance of obtaining these vitamins, either through diet or supplementation.
ReplyDeleteIt is important for a pregnant woman to be well nourished so that the fetus attains all vital nourishments that are crucial in development. It is important for developed countries to help give vitamins and other supplementals to developing countries to help their populations be healthy. I agree that a larger sample size would gain better knowledge. My question is how does vitamin B12 and lower folate levels contribute to autism and are there any other factors that cause this disease?
ReplyDeleteI think you did a great job with this post, between the writing, the organization, and the presentation of the material. This study definitely brings some needed attention to the possible link between B12 and B9 vitamins with ASD. Like others have stated, correlation does not mean causation and I would be interested to see this experiment repeated in several different environments to be sure the specific location of this country did not have an influence. Nevertheless, this is a step in the right direction for such a significant developmental disorder. I also agree that these findings could be the push some countries need to start making proper pregnancy supplements and care regularly available to their citizens.
ReplyDeleteResearchers have been coming out with more and more potential conditions that seem to cause autism. This was the first time I had heard of a possible correlation of vitamins B9 and B12. Vitamins are an essential part of our diet, and it makes sense, especial with B12 since it plays a key role in the normal functioning of the brain, that they could contribute to autistic tendencies. I myself am B12 deficient and have to take a supplement. I think it may have been mentioned in a previous comment, but I wonder if supplementing these vitamins later on would have any affect on the child. I wonder if it has more to do with low levels of these vitamins in the mother's diet during pregnancy and if this is the case, would the affects be irreversible? Whatever the case may be, I think this is a step in the right direction. Either way, if further research proves this correlation to be true, pregnant women can be tested for deficiencies and provided with supplements as well as deficient children.
ReplyDeleteHello Mushtak,
ReplyDeleteI think that the article that you chose to discuss is amazing. I find it interesting that vitamins such as B9 and B12 play such a major role in a child's development and the lack of these vitamins can be linked to autism. I think we often forget how important it is to take care of our bodies at such a young age to prevent things such as autism. I wonder if there is more that can be done to prevent this disease from growing worldwide and figuring out its' main triggers.
Although the researchers took into account vitamin supplementation in their research, I find myself skeptical of their findings because of the inefficiency of supplement regulation. In the United States, supplements regulations has been put into place by the FDA, however, I learned in Brain and Behavior with Dr. White, that it is not easy to monitor whether or not these regulations are actually being followed. Therefore, although you may think you are taking a certain amount of a vitamin, such as B9 or B12, you may in fact be receiving a much smaller dose in the supplement. If this is the case in the Unites States, I can only imagine it would be the same way, if not even harder to control supplement regulation, in a place such as Oman. An additional study that may help to solidify their findings would be to look at children, or pregnant women, who do not take any supplements, and focus on their B9 and B12 levels solely from the food they eat.
ReplyDeleteThis is very interesting findings. I think it is important for everyone to get all of the nutrients their body needs everyday and this definitely backs up that thought. I can't help but wonder if maybe there is something else also causing this to happen. There could be other factors causing this too such as endocrine disruption or even if this is genetic there could be come kind of bottleneck affect going on causing a less diverse gene pool there making the amount of autism increase. Also, when you ask questions one on one people don't always give you the truth because of a number of reasons so I would have liked them to use a different form of gathering data.
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