Vitamins B9 and B12 are two of the most popular go-to nutrients for natural energy support—for both brain and body. Everyone from pro athletes to grand master chess players will reach for the two essential nutrients to boost competitiveness. Many brands of energy drinks even include them (unfortunately along with an abundance of sugar). Now a new study has not only corroborated this health hack, but has added a new twist: The energy benefit translates into protection against cardiovascular disease and other health threats. This "magic" happens through B9's and B12's helpfulness in keeping blood homocysteine levels low. Raised blood homocysteine level is already a well-established "marker" relative to cardiovascular disease, dementia, and bone fracture risk. Study background While low energy is usually blamed on stress and poor sleep, researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University in Japan had another idea: they wanted to examine the role nutrition plays in chronic fatigue. To conduct their study, the researchers recruited 600 healthy individuals, then set out to evaluate the potential link between plasma homocysteine levels and subjective feelings of fatigue and motivation. The researchers first evaluated the blood concentrations of Vitamin B9 (also known as folate) and Vitamin B12 of the study subjects, then compared the concentrations against levels of chronic fatigue. This was done by having the participant subjects report using the industry-accepted Chalder Fatigue Scale questionnaire and the Visual Analog Scale. Cofounding factors like age, sleep duration, workload, and overall diet were also accounted for. Differences between sexes Across the entire population, high homocysteine levels were consistently tied to low levels of vitamin B12 and folate. However, there were different results in men and women. In men, high homocysteine levels were associated with an increase in self-reported physical fatigue; meanwhile, in women, high homocysteine levels were associated with lower self-reported motivation. Multi-front benefits The researchers were cautious to point out that vitamins B9 and B12 weren't the sole drivers of the fatigue or motivation changes. They noted that the B-vitamin/homocysteine link reflects a more complex metabolic state that affects how the brain regulates energy and mood. Still, the researchers noted it was more evidence of that avoiding B-vitamin deficiencies is critical in battling fatigue. The comment was based not only on their current findings, but on the vast, settled body of evidence regarding methylation, neurological function, and cardiovascular health. The "fatigue link" observed in the current study is just another piece of the B-vitamin puzzle. In the completed puzzle B-vitamins appear to support energy in the short term, and many aspects of health in the long term. Final thoughts Interestingly, while the monitoring of homocysteine levels is widely accepted in the battles against cardiovascular disease and dementia, the researchers noted that this same marker can provide insight into immediate health challenges such as chronic fatigue and mood. “This suggested relationship between Vitamin B12, folate, and fatigue in healthy individuals may represent the first report of its kind,” said Professor Hiroaki Kanouchi, lead author of the study. “Blood homocysteine levels have traditionally raised concerns in relation to cardiovascular disease, dementia, and fractures. However, our current findings suggest that attention should also be paid to fatigue and motivation in the future. To prevent an increase in homocysteine levels, it is important to avoid deficiencies in vitamin B12 and folate. Maintaining a well-balanced diet on a daily basis is essential.” Sources: Nutrients, Wikipedia (homocysteine), Me-Pedia.org.
