B族维生素包括一组八种水溶性维生素,它们是必需的,在细胞功能中密切相关的角色,在大量的分解代谢和合成代谢酶反应中充当辅酶。它们的集体效应对大脑功能的许多方面特别普遍,包括能源生产,DNA/RNA合成/修复,基因组和非基因组甲基化,以及许多神经化学物质和信号分子的合成。然而,人类流行病学和对照试验调查,以及由此产生的科学评论,几乎完全集中在维生素(B9/B12/B6)的小子集上,这些维生素是参与同型半胱氨酸代谢的最突出(但不是唯一的)B族维生素。对其他B族维生素的关注很少。这篇综述描述了八种B族维生素和法警的密切相关的功能,表明该组微量营养素的所有成员的足够水平对于最佳的生理和神经功能至关重要。此外,人类研究的证据清楚地表明,发达国家的人口中有很大一部分患有一种或多种维生素的缺乏或不足,而且,在没有最佳饮食的情况下,服用整个B族维生素,而不是一个小子集,剂量大大超过目前政府的建议,将是保持大脑健康的合理方法。
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.