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Low-dose folic acid supplementation does not influence plasma methionine concentrations in young non-pregnant women

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

Ingeborg A. Brouwerv ,
Marijke van Dusseldorp ,
Marinus Duran ,
Chris M. G. Thomas ,
Joseph G. A. J. Hautvast ,
Tom K. A. B. Eskes  and
Régine P. M. Steegers-Theunissen
Ingeborg A. Brouwerv*
Affiliation:
Division of Human Nutrition and Epidemiology Wageningen Agricultural University, Wageningen, The Netherlands Departments of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Marijke van Dusseldorp
Affiliation:
Division of Human Nutrition and Epidemiology Wageningen Agricultural University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
Marinus Duran
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Metabolic Diseases Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Chris M. G. Thomas
Affiliation:
Departments of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Nijmegen, The Netherlands Chemical Endocrinology, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Joseph G. A. J. Hautvast
Affiliation:
Division of Human Nutrition and Epidemiology Wageningen Agricultural University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
Tom K. A. B. Eskes
Affiliation:
Departments of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Régine P. M. Steegers-Theunissen
Affiliation:
Departments of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Nijmegen, The Netherlands Epidemiology University Hospital Nijmegen St Radboud, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
*
*Corresponding author: Dr Ingeborg A. Brouwer, fax +31 317 483342, email [email protected]
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Abstract

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An elevated plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) concentration is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and for having offspring with a neural-tube defect. Folate is a methyl donor in the remethylation of homocysteine into methionine. Although folic acid supplementation decreases tHcy concentrations, effects of folic acid supplementation on plasma methionine concentrations are unclear. There is also concern that folic acid supplementation negatively affects vitamin B12 status. We studied effects of low-dose folic acid supplementation on methionine and vitamin B12 concentrations in plasma. We also investigated whether baseline plasma methionine and tHcy concentrations correlated with the baseline folate and vitamin B12 status. For a period of 4 weeks, 144 young women received either 500 μg folic acid each day, or 500 μg folic acid and placebo tablets on alternate days, or a placebo tablet each day. Plasma methionine, tHcy and plasma vitamin B12 concentrations were measured at start and end of the intervention period. Folic acid supplementation had no effect on plasma methionine or plasma vitamin B12 concentrations although it significantly decreased tHcy concentrations. Plasma methionine concentrations showed no correlation with either tHcy concentrations (Spearman rs - 0·01, P = 0·89), or any of the blood vitamin variables at baseline. Baseline tHcy concentrations showed a slight inverse correlation with baseline concentrations of plasma vitamin B12 (rs - 0·25, P < 0·001), plasma folate (rs - 0·24, P < 0·01) and erythrocyte folate (rs - 0·19, P < 0·05). In conclusion, low-dose folic acid supplementation did not influence plasma methionine or plasma vitamin B12 concentrations. Furthermore, no correlation between plasma methionine concentrations and the blood folate and vitamin B12 status was shown.

Keywords

Folic acidMethionineHomocysteineVitamin B12
Type
Short-communication
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 82 , Issue 2 , August 1999 , pp. 85 - 89
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 1999

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