Cited by 1,055Folate and B Vitamins ResearchAlcoholism and Thiamine DeficiencyNutrition and Health Studies

B Vitamins and the Brain: Mechanisms, Dose and Efficacy—A Review

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Kennedy, David·2016·Nutrients

Abstract

The B-vitamins comprise a group of eight water soluble vitamins that perform essential, closely inter-related roles in cellular functioning, acting as co-enzymes in a vast array of catabolic and anabolic enzymatic reactions. Their collective effects are particularly prevalent to numerous aspects of brain function, including energy production, DNA/RNA synthesis/repair, genomic and non-genomic methylation, and the synthesis of numerous neurochemicals and signaling molecules. However, human epidemiological and controlled trial investigations, and the resultant scientific commentary, have focused almost exclusively on the small sub-set of vitamins (B9/B12/B6) that are the most prominent (but not the exclusive) B-vitamins involved in homocysteine metabolism. Scant regard has been paid to the other B vitamins. This review describes the closely inter-related functions of the eight B-vitamins and marshals evidence suggesting that adequate levels of all members of this group of micronutrients are essential for optimal physiological and neurological functioning. Furthermore, evidence from human research clearly shows both that a significant proportion of the populations of developed countries suffer from deficiencies or insufficiencies in one or more of this group of vitamins, and that, in the absence of an optimal diet, administration of the entire B-vitamin group, rather than a small sub-set, at doses greatly in excess of the current governmental recommendations, would be a rational approach for preserving brain health.

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  1. [10]Bates C.J. Thiamine Handbook of Vitamins 4th ed. Zempleni J. Rucker R.B. McCormick D.B. Suttie J.W. CRC Press Boca Raton, FL, USA 2007
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Authors
Kennedy, D.
Affiliations
Northumbria University (GB)
Corresponding author
Kennedy, David
Venue
Nutrients
Publisher
MDPI AG
Published
2016-01-27
Volume
8
Issue
2
Pages
68
ISSN
2072-6643 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2268479893
Cited by
1,055
References
162
Citations by year
2026: 119 · 2025: 150 · 2024: 133 · 2023: 119 · 2022: 129 · 2021: 116 · 2020: 99 · 2019: 72 · 2018: 54 · 2017: 46 · 2016: 18
FWCI
9.99
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nutrients (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Northumbria Research Link (Northumbria University) (acceptedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Rheumatology › Folate and B Vitamins Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Neurology › Alcoholism and Thiamine Deficiency
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Nutrition and Health Studies
Keywords
B vitamins, brain function, vitamin deficiency, homocysteine metabolism, folic acid, vitamin B12, vitamin B6, DNA methylation, coenzymes, brain health, micronutrient supplementation, dose-response relationship
MeSH terms
Brain, Humans, Vitamin B Complex, Vitamin B Deficiency

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