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Vitamin B12, Folic Acid, and Bone

  • Nutrition and Lifestyle in Osteoporosis (S Ferrari, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Vitamin B12 and folic acid deficiency are associated with a higher serum concentration of homocysteine. A high serum homocysteine is a risk factor for fractures. Both vitamins play a role in the remethylation of homocysteine to methionine. The pathophysiology from a high serum homocysteine to fractures is not completely clear, but might involve bone mineral density, bone turnover, bone blood flow, DNA methylation, and/or physical function and fall risk. Genetic variation, especially polymorphisms of the gene encoding for methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase may play a role in homocysteine metabolism and fracture risk. It is uncertain whether supplementation with vitamin B12 and folate can decrease fracture incidence. One double blind clinical trial in post-stroke patients showed that these B vitamins could decrease hip fracture incidence, but the results of further clinical trials should be awaited before a definite conclusion can be drawn.

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Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

The referenced studies by the authors (1, 2, 30, 32, 49) were done in human subjects with appropriate informed consent.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and the EMGO Institute of Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Van de Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Karin M. A. Swart & Natasja M. van Schoor

  2. Department of Internal Medicine/Endocrinology and the EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, P.O. Box 7057, 1007 MB, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Paul Lips

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  1. Karin M. A. Swart
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  2. Natasja M. van Schoor
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  3. Paul Lips
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Correspondence to Paul Lips.

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Swart, K.M.A., van Schoor, N.M. & Lips, P. Vitamin B12, Folic Acid, and Bone. Curr Osteoporos Rep 11, 213–218 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11914-013-0155-2

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