The Joint Use of Vitamin B6 and B12
Results from a study conducted by scientists from Norway reaffirm the need to be cautious when taking dietary supplements. Researchers discovered a significant increase in the risk of severe fractures in women who consumed supplements containing high doses of vitamin B6 and B12.
Many seniors seek to prevent various diseases by taking dietary supplements containing minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, and so forth.
Norwegian researchers from the University of Oslo state that consuming dietary supplements containing high doses of vitamin B6 and B12 poses a risk factor for hip bone fractures in postmenopausal women.
The researchers published an article on May 10 in the JAMA Network Open journal, in which they analyzed health data from 75,864 women who were menopausal at the start of the study. During the study, data was analyzed over a period of 30 years, from June 1984 to May 2014.
During this period, a total of 2,304 cases of hip fractures were recorded. Throughout the study, participants answered specific questionnaires every four years, allowing determination of their consumption of vitamin B6 and B12 from their diet and through dietary supplements.
Researchers’ Comments:
After excluding data on the consumption of vitamins from the diet in the analysis, scientists found that increased consumption of dietary supplements containing vitamin B6 and/or vitamin B12 was associated with an increased risk of hip bone fractures:
- For vitamin B6, daily intake at a rate of 25 milligrams or more through dietary supplements was associated with a 1.41 times higher risk of hip fractures compared to participants who did not consume these supplements at all.
- For vitamin B12, daily intake at a rate of 25 micrograms or more through dietary supplements was associated with a 1.26 times higher risk of hip fractures compared to participants who did not consume supplements with this vitamin at all.
Additionally, it was found that taking dietary supplements containing high doses of vitamin B6 and B12 together (B6 ≥ 35 milligrams/day and B12 ≥ 20 micrograms/day) was associated with a 50% increased risk of hip bone fractures compared to women who took supplements of these types together but at lower doses (B6 < 2 milligrams/day and B12 < 10 micrograms/day).