Researchers In Quest of Osteoporosis Prevention Find Benefits In Vitamin B12

Main Category: Nutrition / Diet
Article Date: 11 Feb 2005 - 17:00 PDT


It can't be said enough: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of bone. An estimated 40% of women and 13% of men are at high risk of an osteoporotic fracture in their lifetime. When these fractures occur in older individuals, quality of life can decrease, sometimes dramatically. Osteoporosis is also associated with higher mortality. New research conducted by Katherine Tucker, PhD, director of the Dietary Assessment and Epidemiology Research Program at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts, examined dietary factors in relation to osteoporosis and uncovered a positive association between vitamin B12 and bone health. In other words, the authors conclude that vitamin B12 deficiency may be an important modifiable risk factor for osteoporosis.

"Osteoporosis is becoming a much greater issue now that people are living so much longer," said lead author Tucker, also a professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts. "Our study provides support for a way in which people can actively lower their risk of osteoporosis and help to preserve quality of life."

Tucker and her colleagues measured bone mineral density--a measure of bone quality--and vitamin B12 level in more than 2,500 men and women participating in the Framingham Osteoporosis Study. They found that both men and women with low vitamin B12 levels had on average lower bone mineral densities--putting them at greater risk of osteoporosis--than men and women with higher levels. The men exhibiting low vitamin B12 levels had significantly lower bone density in several areas of the hip, and the women exhibiting low vitamin B12 levels had particularly low bone density in the spine.

"This is the first large scale study of its kind to show an association between low vitamin B12 and low bone mineral density in men and it confirms other reports of this association in women," said Tucker, "It shows that getting enough vitamin B12 from meats, poultry, fish and dairy products may be important for both men and women in maintaining strong bones. Some individuals, particularly older people, have difficulty absorbing vitamin B12 from foods, however, and inclusion of breakfast cereals fortified with vitamin B12 or use of vitamin B12 supplements offers additional protection."

Tucker K., et al, Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, 2005 Jan;20(1):152-8. "Low plasma vitamin B12 is associated with lower bone mineral density: the Framingham Osteoporosis Study."

If you are interested in hearing more about any of the studies or speaking with a member of the faculty of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy or another Tufts health sciences researcher, please contact Siobhan Gallagher via email at Siobhan.Gallagher@tufts.edu.

The Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University is the only independent school of nutrition in the United States. The school's eight centers, which focus on questions relating to famine, hunger, poverty, and communications, are renowned for the application of scientific research to national and international policy. For two decades, the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University has studied the relationship between good nutrition and good health in aging populations. Tufts research scientists work with federal agencies to establish the USDA Dietary Guidelines, the Dietary Reference Intakes, and other significant public policies.

Siobhan Gallagher - siobhan.gallagher@tufts.edu
Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University
Tufts University

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