review · Nutrients
Obesity contributes significantly to global mortality and heightens the likelihood of developing conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases. Research demonstrates a link between vitamin B12 levels and metabolic syndrome. A high prevalence of low vitamin B12 occurs among individuals with type 2 diabetes, reaching twenty-seven percent in European patients and thirty-two percent in South Indian patients. During pregnancy, deficient vitamin B12 status independently predicts future type 2 diabetes onset and relates to higher fat accumulation, increased insulin resistance, and cardiometabolic risks in offspring. Despite these connections, the specific influence of vitamin B12 on lipid metabolism remains under-investigated. Evidence from pre-clinical and clinical investigations connects deficient levels to disrupted lipid processing, potentially driven by epigenetic modifications such as DNA methylation, micro-RNA regulation, and histone alterations.
Metabolic disorders and obesity pose major global health threats. Understanding how common micronutrient deficiencies, such as low vitamin B12, influence lipid metabolism and disease progression across generations can assist in identifying early risks for diabetes and heart disease. Exploring these biological and epigenetic connections provides critical insight into managing long-term maternal and child health outcomes.
The findings represent early-stage fundamental research linking vitamin B12 to lipid metabolism and epigenetic markers. Potential future applications include diagnostic risk profiles or targeted nutritional interventions for pregnant women and individuals at risk of type 2 diabetes. However, because the underlying mechanisms remain largely associative, the research is at a pre-clinical phase and distant from commercial deployment, requiring functional validation first.
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Obesity is a worldwide epidemic responsible for 5% of global mortality. The risks of developing other key metabolic disorders like diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are increased by obesity, causing a great public health concern. A series of epidemiological studies and animal models have demonstrated a relationship between the importance of vitamin B12 (B12) and various components of metabolic syndrome. High prevalence of low B12 levels has been shown in European (27%) and South Indian (32%) patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). A longitudinal prospective study in pregnant women has shown that low B12 status could independently predict the development of T2D five years after delivery. Likewise, children born to mothers with low B12 levels may have excess fat accumulation which in turn can result in higher insulin resistance and risk of T2D and/or CVD in adulthood. However, the independent role of B12 on lipid metabolism, a key risk factor for cardiometabolic disorders, has not been explored to a larger extent. In this review, we provide evidence from pre-clinical and clinical studies on the role of low B12 status on lipid metabolism and insights on the possible epigenetic mechanisms including DNA methylation, micro-RNA and histone modifications. Although, there are only a few association studies of B12 on epigenetic mechanisms, novel approaches to understand the functional changes caused by these epigenetic markers are warranted.
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DOI: 10.3390/nu12071925
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