Vitamin Bs: Fuel for you and your microbiome

 

Vitamin Bs are essential for you and your microbiome

Vitamin Bs and Parkinson's Disease

A recent study hitting the news in 2024 described a link between reduced synthesis of B vitamins from gut bacteria which importantly correlated with an increased risk for Parkinson's disease (PD). As a researcher studying metabolism, identifying new biomarkers and interested in gut health, I was very interested in this work.  Also, having had a parent who suffered from PD, this type of research hit home. 

• Bacteria in our gut can make folate (B9), cobalamin (B12), thiamin (B1), biotin (B7), niacin (B3), riboflavin (B2), pyridoxine (B6), and pantothenate (B5).  
• You may know that vitamin Bs are essential to our health, but you might not have known that your gut microbiota need vitamin Bs for growth and they also synthesize them for us.  
• A deficiency in vitamin B can lead to fatigue, memory issues, depression, and constipation as well as other neurological issues and contribute to the development of PD.  
• Your gut microbiota also require vitamin Bs as a nutrient source; therefore, a deficiency in vitamin B can also lead to changes in your gut microbiota population.  
• Changes in your gut microbiome can have other health consequences including irritable bowel disease, heart disease, obesity and metabolic disease as well as others (see here). 
• A primarily vegetarian diet may result in a B12 deficiency because it is found primarily in meat, thus supplementation with B12 is essential to prevent fatigue, muscle weakness among other health issues. 
• B12 (cobalamin) is only synthesized by a few bacterial species in the gut and thus an imbalance in gut microbiota could cause a reduction in this micronutrient.
• The role microbiota play in PD could be due to a reduction in the mucosal layer that protects the intestinal wall from inflammation and damage.  A disruption in this layer could cause leakage of unwanted biomolecules into the blood stream which is normally controlled by transporters.  

While the microbiome does produce some vitamin Bs, they are essential to us and thus we must get most of these nutrients from our diet or from supplements. Deciding on which to take is a decision that you and your medical professional should make together as part of you overall health.  

The table below gives a breakdown of the Vitamin B content in several foods with a larger list here