Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. Researchers found that those with highest vitamin B6 blood levels had 42% lower levels of the inflammatory protein, 14% lower in homocysteine levels, 21% lower rate in cardiovascular disease and 40% lower rate in diabetes.
Atherosclerosis includes heart disease and stroke and is the second and third biggest killer of Americans. A stroke occurs every 40 seconds in the U.S., with one American dying every 4 minutes from stroke, totaling 795,000 American deaths each year at a cost of $73.7 billion in 2010 (1). Heart disease causes 1 in 4 U.S. deaths and totaled $108.9 billion in healthcare costs in 2010 (2). In addition, cardiovascular disease, the end point for all of the above conditions, is predicted to cost our healthcare system $1 trillion by 2030 (3).
What do all of the above illnesses have in common? They all have low levels of vitamin B6 as a risk factor. Now a new study (4) suggests that vitamin B6’s role has to do with helping maintain healthy levels of inflammation.
In the study, researchers analyzed medical records of 2,229 men and women participating in the Framingham Heart Study (5). Specifically, they examined their levels of vitamin B6, inflammatory proteins, and illness during their seventh examination conducted in the study between 1998 and 2001.
The researchers found vitamin B6 intake to be “significantly inversely related” to inflammatory levels. Those with the highest vitamin B6 blood levels (177 nanomoles/Liter, corresponding to a vitamin B6 intake of 18.6 grams per day) had 42% lower levels of the inflammatory protein CRP (1.8 vs. 3.1 milligrams/Liter, p < 0.001) compared to those with the lowest vitamin B6 blood levels (35 nmol/L, 2.7 grams B6 intake per day). Homocysteine levels were also 14% lower in the highest group vs. the lowest group (8.0 vs. 9.1 micromoles/Liter, p < 0.001) and the inflammatory proteins called cytokines were 20% lower in the highest B6 group vs. the lowest (61 vs. 76 z-score computed by the researchers, p < 0.001).
The researchers also noted that the rate of cardiovascular disease was 21% lower in the highest B6 group vs. the lowest (11% vs. 14% of patients in group, p < 0.001) along with 40% lower rate of diabetes in the highest B6 group vs. the lowest (6% vs. 10% of patients in the group, p < 0.001). The researchers did not post data on heart attack or stroke in the groups.
For the researchers, “we have shown that overall inflammation is inversely associated with [vitamin B6 blood levels] and that their results “expand on previous findings that showed inverse relationships between [vitamin B6 blood levels] and inflammatory diseases and/or individual biomarkers of inflammation.”
Source: Sakakeeny, Lydia, et al. “Plasma pyridoxal-5-phosphate is inversely associated with systemic markers of inflammation in a population of US adults.” The Journal of nutrition 142.7 (2012): 1280-1285.
© 2012 American Society for Nutrition.
Posted June 21, 2012.
Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY. You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com
References:
- “Impact of Stroke” from the Stroke Association website.
- “Heart Disease Facts” form the CDC website.
- “Forecasting the Future of Cardiovascular Disease in the United States” from the American Heart Association website.
- A. Plasma Pyridoxal-5-Phosphate Is Inversely Associated with Systemic Markers of Inflammation in a Population of U.S. Adults. The Journal of Nutrition. First published ahead of print May 23, 2012 as doi: 10.3945/jn.111.153056.
- Kannel WB. An investigation of coronary heart disease in families. The Framingham offspring study. Am J Epidemiol. 1979;110:281–90.
