scholarly journals Haematological studies on vegans

1978 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. A. B. Sanders ◽  
F. R. Ellis ◽  
J. W. T. Dickerson

1. The concentrations of vitamin B12 and folate in the serum and folate in the erythrocytes were determined and full blood counts made on a series of caucasian vegans and omnivore controls.2. The blood counts and films were normal in all the vegans and no subject had a haemoglobin concentration below the lower limit of normality.3. Although within the normal range, male but not female vegans had lower values for erythrocyte counts and higher values for mean corpuscular volume and mean corpuscular haemoglobin than their controls regardless of whether they were taking vitamin B12 supplements or not.4. The mean serum vitamin B12 concentration was lower in the vegans not taking vitamin B12 supplements and in those using foods supplemented with the vitamin than in the controls, but in no subject was it below 80 ng/l.5. The serum folate concentrations were higher in the vegans than in their controls. The mean value for erythrocyte folate tended to be greater in the vegans not taking vitamin B12 supplements. No subject had an erythrocyte folate concentration of less than 100μg/l.6. It is concluded that megaloblastic anaemia is very rare in caucasian vegans and that a diet consisting entirely of plant foods is generally adequate to promote normal blood formation providing it is composed of a mixture of unrefined cereals, pulses, nuts, fruit and vegetables and is supplemented with vitamin B12.

1990 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 331-338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheela Reddy ◽  
T. A. B. Sanders

Full blood counts, serum ferritin, vitamin B12 and folate, erythrocyte folate concentrations and nutrient intakes were estimated in twenty-three Indian vegetarian, twenty-two Caucasian omnivores and eighteen Caucasian vegetarian women aged 25–40 years. Energy and copper intakes were lower in the Indian women than in the Caucasians. Intakes of dietary fibre, vitamin C and folate were greater and the proportion of energy derived from fat was lower in the vegetarians than in the omnivores. Vitamin B12 and protein intakes were lower in both vegetarian groups than in the omnivores. Fe intake was similar in all the groups but haem Fe provided one-quarter of the Fe intake of the omnivores. Haemoglobin concentrations were generally inside the normal range in all groups, but were lower in the Indians as were mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH). Higher MCV, MCH and lower erythrocyte (RBC) counts were observed in Caucasian vegetarians compared with the Caucasian omnivores. In both groups of vegetarians, concentrations of serum vitamin B12 and ferritin were markedly lower than in the omnivores. RBC folate concentrations were lower in the Indians than in either of the Caucasian groups when subjects taking supplements were excluded. It is concluded that vegetarians need to ensure they have adequate intakes of Fe and vitamin B12.


2021 ◽  
pp. 160-161
Author(s):  
Dinesh Kumar ◽  
Mahesh Kumar Gupta ◽  
Sunil Gothwal ◽  
Umesh Gurjar ◽  
Kailash Kumar Meena ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND- Exact incidence of ITS is not known but it was accounted for 0.2 to 2% pediatric hospital admissions in 1962 and reduced to 0.2% currently in India. Aims of this study to estimate Vitamin B level 12 and folate in children with Infantile Tremor Syndrome METHODS- This Hospital based cross sectional observational study was conducted in, Sir Padampat Mother and Child Health Institute (SPMCHI), SMS Medical College, Jaipur. RESULTS- The mean serum B level was highest in children aged 13-18 months (117.40 pg/ml) and was lowest in children aged 12 6-12 months (67.90 pg/ml). This difference in B level in different age groups was statistically not signicant (p>0.05). The mean 12 serum folate level was highest in children aged 6-12 months (17.32 ng/ml) followed by children aged 13-18 months (15.53 ng/ml) and was lowest in children aged >18 months (13.70 ng/ml). This difference in folate level in different age groups was statistically not signicant (p>0.05). CONCLUSION- Present study ndings suggest that serum vitamin B and folate levels are decreased in children with Infantile 12 Tremor Syndrome.


2002 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 812-816 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Mark Ruscin ◽  
Robert Lee Page ◽  
Robert J Valuck

OBJECTIVE: To report a case of vitamin B12 deficiency associated with long-term use (∼4½ y) of histamine2 (H2)-receptor antagonists and a proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) in a patient with gastroesophageal reflux. CASE SUMMARY: A 78-year-old nonvegetarian white woman with symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux (GER) was started on cimetidine 300 mg 4 × daily in February 1990 and took various other antisecretory medications over the course of the next 4½ years. She had a normal serum vitamin B12 concentration of 413 pg/mL in August 1992. In June 1994, her serum vitamin B12 concentration was found to be in the low normal range at 256 pg/mL. Biochemical markers of vitamin B12–dependent enzyme activity were measured at that time, and methylmalonic acid (MMA) and homocysteine (HCYS) were elevated at 757 nmol/L and 27.3 μmol/L, respectively. Serum folate was within the normal range at 4.9 ng/mL, and serum creatinine was slightly elevated at 1.4 mg/dL. MMA and HCYS concentrations decreased dramatically with oral replacement of vitamin B12 1000 μg/d, which confirmed vitamin B12 deficiency. Oral replacement also demonstrated that the woman was able to adequately absorb nonprotein—bound vitamin B12 from the gastrointestinal tract, suggesting that her deficiency was a result of food—cobalamin malabsorption. The accumulation of MMA and HCYS was not a consequence of renal dysfunction, since both metabolites dramatically decreased with vitamin B12 replacement. DISCUSSION: Malabsorption of dietary protein-bound vitamin B12 has been demonstrated with the use of H2-receptor antagonists and PPIs. One previous case report of vitamin B12 deficiency resulting from long-term use of omeprazole has been published. The malabsorption of dietary vitamin B12 is thought to be a result of its impaired release from food protein, which requires gastric acid and pepsin as the initial step in the absorption process. CONCLUSIONS: The use of H2-receptor antagonists and/or PPIs may impair the absorption of protein-bound dietary vitamin B12 and could contribute to the development of vitamin B12 deficiency with prolonged use. Patients taking these medications for extended periods of time, particularly >4 years, should be monitored for vitamin B12 status.


2003 ◽  
Vol 89 (3) ◽  
pp. 295-301 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marja-Leena Silaste ◽  
Maire Rantala ◽  
Georg Alfthan ◽  
Antti Aro ◽  
Y. Antero Kesäniemi

High plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) concentration is reported to be a risk factor for vascular diseases. We investigated the extent to which serum folate and plasma tHcy respond to a high intake of natural folate from food. Thirty-seven healthy females volunteered to participate in a crossover dietary intervention. The study included a baseline period and two 5-week diet periods (low- and high-folate diets) with a 3-week washout in between. The low-folate diet contained one serving of both vegetables and frui/, while during the high-folate diet the subjects ate at least seven servings of vegetables, berries, and citrus frui/. Serum and erythrocyte (RBC) folate, serum vitamin B12, and plasma tHcy concentrations were measured at the baseline and at the end of each diet period. The mean concentrations of serum and RBC folate were 11·0 (sd 3·0) nmo/ and 412 (sd 120) nmo/ at the end of the low-folate diet and 78 (95 % CI 62, 94) % and 14 (95 % CI 8, 20) % higher in response to the high-folate diet (P<0·001). The serum concentration of vitamin B12remained unchanged during the intervention. The mean plasma tHcy concentration was 8·0 μmo/ at the end of the low-folate diet and decreased by 13 (95 % CI 9, 18) % in response to the high-folate diet (P<0·001). In conclusion, a diet high in fresh berries, citrus fruit, and vegetables effectively increases serum and RBC folate and decreases plasma homocysteine.


2021 ◽  
pp. bmjnph-2020-000209
Author(s):  
Ravindra M Vora ◽  
Meryl J Alappattu ◽  
Apoorva D Zarkar ◽  
Mayur S Soni ◽  
Santosh J Karmarkar ◽  
...  

IntroductionThe majority of Indian women have a poor dietary folate and vitamin B12 intake resulting in their chronically low vitamin status, which contributes to anaemia and the high incidence of folate-responsive neural-tube defects (NTDs) in India. Although many countries have successfully deployed centrally-processed folate-fortified flour for prevention of NTDs, inherent logistical problems preclude widespread implementation of this strategy in India. Because tea—the second most common beverage worldwide (after water)—is consumed by most Indians every day, and appeared an ideal vehicle for fortification with folate and vitamin B12, we determined if daily consumption of vitamin-fortified tea for 2 months could benefit young women of childbearing-age in Sangli, India.MethodsWomen (average age=20±2 SD) used teabags spiked with therapeutic doses of 1 mg folate pluseither 0.1 mg vitamin B12 (Group-1, n=19) or 0.5 mg vitamin B12 (Group-2, n=19), or mock-fortified teabags (Group-0, n=5) to prepare a cup of tea every day for 2 months, following which their pre-intervention and post-intervention serum vitamin and haemoglobin concentrations were compared.ResultsMost women had baseline anaemia with low-normal serum folate and below-normal serum vitamin B12 levels. After 2 months, women in both Group-1 and Group-2 exhibited significant increases in mean differences in pre-intervention versus post-intervention serum folate levels of 8.37 ng/mL (95% CIs 5.69 to 11.04, p<0.05) and 6.69 ng/mL (95% CI 3.93 to 9.44, p<0.05), respectively; however, Group-0 experienced an insignificant rise of 1.26 ng/mL (95% CI –4.08 to 0.16). In addition, over one-half and two-thirds of women in Group-1 and Group-2, respectively, exhibited increases in serum vitamin B12 levels over 300 pg/mL. There was also a significant post-interventional increase in the mean haemoglobin concentration in Group-1 of 1.45 g/dL (95% CI 0.64 to 2.26, p=0.002) and Group-2 of 0.79 g/dL (95% CI 0.11 to 1.42, p=0.027), which reflected a bona fide clinical response.ConclusionTea is an outstanding scalable vehicle for fortification with folate and vitamin B12 in India, and has potential to help eliminate haematological and neurological complications arising from inadequate dietary consumption or absorption of folate and vitamin B12.


Author(s):  
SHANNO KM ◽  
DISHA SHARMA ◽  
SUDHANSHU MISHRA

Objective: The study aimed to have a prospective study of serum folate concentration and hemoglobin (Hb%) in cervical carcinoma patients. Methods: The study was conducted on women suffering from carcinoma cervix. The research was conducted in the Gynecological Outpatient Department (OPD) of the Oncology Unit in Mahavir Cancer Sansthan Patna, Bihar. The study period was from May 2016 to April 2017. The sample was collected after face to face interview by Figo staging and the sample was taken regularly. As a result strong association of Hb% and carcinoma cervix was found with the mean value of lower than 11.12, which is lower than the normal range of Hb%. As per the further estimation of folic acid, the level of cervical cancer is low. Results: The data were estimated with help of tools such as SPSS 16.0 and PRISMA 5.0. The Hb% the mean value of patients was estimated to be lower than 11.12, which is not under the normal range of Hb%, that is, nearly 12.5 mg/dl. The low mean value shows less Hb% content which leads to anemia in normal beings as well as in patients with cervical cancer. A strong association of Hb% which affected to patients in carcinoma cervix can be seen in the graph that the mean value of patients low 11.12±0.20 which not comes under normal range of Hb%, that is, 12.5 mg/dl. The R square value is 0.9556. Conclusion: As per our study, we have estimated that the folic acid level in cervical cancer is low. The -normal range of folic acid level in plasma serum is 2.2–20 ug/ml. The mean of 20 control cases, new cervical cancer patients, on treating patients, and follow-up patients is 11.08, 2.206, 3.554, and 2.783, respectively. The control 11.08 shows the better level in plasma serum level comes under a normal range of folic acid level.


Author(s):  
Rosa Chillemi ◽  
Jacques Simpore ◽  
Silvia Persichilli ◽  
Angelo Minucci ◽  
Alfonsina D'Agata ◽  
...  

AbstractBackground: Low levels of plasma homocysteine have been found in children and adult populations living in Burkina Faso in association with a low prevalence of coronary heart disease. Methods: Based on this finding, the levels of plasma homocysteine and other thiols (cysteine, cysteinylglycine, glutathione) in postmenopausal women living in Burkina Faso were evaluated with the aim of investigating whether age and life conditions influence plasma homocysteine and other thiol levels. Results: It was found that in older postmenopausal women the mean level of homocysteine was higher (16.4±6.6 μmol/L) than in fertile women (6.8±1.2μmol/L) and that thisincrease was correlated with cysteine levels (166.6±44.6μmol/L). While the glutathione level in postmenopausal women was lower (3.6±2.3μmol/L) compared with fertile women (7.0±1.7μmol/L), cysteinylglycine levels were within the normal range (29.9±9.3μmol/L). No correlation was found between homocysteine levels and serum folate, vitamin B


1985 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 613-619 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. M. Craig ◽  
C. Elliot ◽  
K. R. Hughes

1. A high incidence of vitamin B12 or folate deficiency, or both, may be found in the elderly, particularly those in hospital. This report concerns fifty cases detected in an inner-city-area geriatric unit during the course of routine clinical investigation. The majority had none of the classical haematological signs of vitamin B12 or folate deficiency, and all the patients reported had a mean corpuscular volume (MCV) of less than 100 fl.2. There was a significant negative correlation between the MCV and the erythrocyte folate (P< 0.01), supporting earlier published work using a low serum folate as an index of folate deficiency.3. There was no correlation between the MCV and the serum vitamin B12. Published work differs on this point.4. Serum iron, total Fe-binding capacity and percentage Fe saturation results were available in forty patients in this series. There was a significant positive correlation between the serum Fe and the MCV (P<0.01) and 34% of patients had haematological evidence of Fe deficiency. In the majority, however, there was no evidence that associated Fe deficiency had masked the haematological signs of vitamin B12 or folate deficiency.5. More attention should be paid to the problem of ‘masked’ vitamin B12 and folate deficiency in the elderly. There is a case for routine screening of the elderly for vitamin B12 and folate deficiency irrespective of the MCV.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanmei Chen ◽  
Takanori Honda ◽  
Jun Hata ◽  
Satoko Sakata ◽  
Yoshihiko Furuta ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Background Folate and vitamin B-12 are essential nutrients for normal cell growth and replication, but the association of serum folate and vitamin B-12 concentrations with mortality risk remains uncertain. Objective This study was performed to investigate the associations of serum folate and vitamin B-12 concentrations with mortality risk and test whether the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T polymorphism modifies these associations. Methods A total of 3050 Japanese community residents aged ≥40 y were prospectively followed-up for mortality between 2002 and 2012. Cox proportional hazards models and restricted cubic splines were used to estimate HRs and 95% CIs of mortality. Results During a median follow-up period of 10.2 y, 336 participants died. Higher serum folate concentrations were associated with lower risks of all-cause mortality [multivariable-adjusted HR: 0.73; 95% CI: 0.56, 0.96 for the second tertile (8.8–12.2 nmol/L; median 10.4 nmol/L) and HR: 0.61; 95% CI: 0.46, 0.80 for the third tertile (≥12.5 nmol/L; median 15.6 nmol/L) serum folate concentrations compared with the first tertile (≤8.6 nmol/L; median 7.0 nmol/L)]. This association remained significant in all sensitivity analyses. Spline analyses showed a steady decline in all-cause mortality risk with increasing serum folate concentrations up to 20–25 nmol/L. This association persisted regardless of the MTHFR C677T genotypes. For serum vitamin B-12, the multivariable-adjusted HR of 1.32 (95% CI: 0.97, 1.79) of all-cause mortality was marginally significantly greater in the first tertile compared with the second tertile. This association was attenuated and nonsignificant after the exclusion of participants with a history of cardiovascular disease or cancer, or participants aged ≥85 y at baseline, or deaths in the first 3 y of follow-up. Conclusions Serum folate concentrations were inversely associated with the risk of all-cause mortality in Japanese adults. Serum vitamin B-12 concentrations were not consistently associated with all-cause mortality risk after accounting for reverse-causation bias.


2020 ◽  
Vol 111 (4) ◽  
pp. 919-926 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa F Young ◽  
Junjie Guo ◽  
Anne Williams ◽  
Kyly C Whitfield ◽  
Sabiha Nasrin ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Background Vitamin B-12 and folate deficiencies in women and children have important public health implications. However, the evidence is conflicting and limited on whether the influence of inflammation on biomarker concentrations may be sufficiently and consistently influenced by inflammation to require adjustment for interpreting concentrations or estimating population prevalence of deficiencies. Objective We examined correlations between concentrations of the inflammation biomarkers C-reactive protein (CRP) and α1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) and serum vitamin B-12 and serum and RBC folate among nonpregnant women of reproductive age (WRA; 15–49 yr) and preschool children (PSC; 6–59 mo). Methods We analyzed cross-sectional data from 16 nationally representative nutrition surveys conducted in WRA (n = 32,588) and PSC (n = 8,256) from the Biomarkers Reflecting Inflammation and Nutritional Determinants of Anemia project. Spearman correlations between CRP or AGP and vitamin B-12 or folate concentrations were examined, taking into account complex survey design effects. Results Correlations between inflammation and vitamin B-12 or folate were weak, with no clear pattern of association in either WRA or PSC. Correlation coefficients between CRP and vitamin B-12 for WRA and PSC ranged from −0.25 to 0.16, and correlations between AGP and vitamin B-12 ranged between −0.07 and 0.14. Similarly, correlations between CRP and serum folate ranged from −0.13 to 0.08, and correlations between AGP and serum folate between −0.21 and 0.02. Only 3 surveys measured RBC folate, and among them, correlations for WRA ranged from −0.07 to 0.08 for CRP and −0.04 for AGP (1 country). Conclusions Based on the weak and inconsistent correlations between CRP or AGP and vitamin B-12 or folate biomarkers, there is no rationale to adjust for inflammation when estimating population prevalence of vitamin B-12 or folate deficiencies in WRA or PSC.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document