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Risk of fracture with low vitamin B diet

A low vitamin B diet or a high level of blood protein called homocysteine can raise the risk of hip fracture in older adults.

Risk of fracture with low vitamin B diet

A low vitamin B diet or a high level of blood protein called homocysteine can raise the risk of hip fracture in older adults. It has been found that vitamin B plays a significant role in maintaining bone density. Potatoes, bananas, beans and fortified cereals are rich in vitamin B6; and meat, fish and poultry are good sources of vitamin B12. Homocysteine levels in the body are known to increase when vitamin B levels are depleted. Researchers in America studied 1002 men and women (mean age 75 years) and found that homocysteine and some of the B vitamins were independently responsible for raising the risk of hip fracture. They found that bone loss was accelerated when B6 level declined in the body. Elderly persons who were deficient in Vitamin B12 were also more likely to experience hip fracture and the level of risk was same as those were vitamin B6 deficient. On the contrary, homocysteine was not responsible for the bone loss, though it is also related to hip fracture risk. Also found that 50% to 70% men and women with elevated levels of homocysteine were more likely to face hip fracture even when their vitamin B levels were normal. The evidences of high risk of hip fractures in the case of high homocysteine have been found in the past but it is still not clear why the protein is linked to hip fractures. It is also difficult to state whether the high risk of fracture is due to low vitamin B or high homocysteine levels. These findings however suggest that diet changes and vitamin supplements are an easy and effective method for controlling vitamin B and homocysteine levels in the body. But further research is required before these potential novel measures can be advocated to prevent bone fracture.
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism
June 2008
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