QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Hung, C.-J. Articles by Chou, H.-F. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Hung, C.-J. Articles by Chou, H.-F.

Plasma Homocysteine Levels in Taiwanese Vegetarians Are Higher than Those of Omnivores¹

Chien-Jung Hung, Po-Chao Huang^*, Shao-Chun Lu^*, Yi-Hwei Li, Hsien-Bin Huang^**, Bi-Fong Lin, Sue-Joan Chang and Hsu-Fang Chou²

Department of Biochemistry and Department of Public Health College of Medicine, Tzu-Chi University, Hualien; ^* Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei; ^** Institute of Molecular Biology, National Chung Cheng University, Chia-Yi; Department of Agricultural Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei; and Department of Biology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan

²To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: hfy{at}mail.tcu.edu.tw.

Mild hyperhomocysteinemia is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease and may result from a deficiency of folate, vitamin B-6 or vitamin B-12. Because vitamin B-12 deficiency is often associated with vegetarianism, this study was designed to examine the effect of Taiwanese vegetarian diets on B-vitamin status and plasma homocysteine levels. Female Buddhist lacto-vegetarians (n = 45; 31–45 y) and matched omnivores (n = 45) recruited in Hualien, Taiwan, were investigated. Taiwanese vegetarians consumed normal amount of folate, but only 21% of Taiwan Recommended Daily Nutrient Allowances (RDNA) values of vitamin B-12. Compared with the omnivores, the vegetarians had significantly higher levels of plasma folate (14.79 ± 7.70 vs. 11.98 ± 8.29 nmol/L), but lower levels of vitamin B-12 (207.7 ± 127.1 vs. 403.5 ± 138.9 pmol/L). Fasting plasma homocysteine levels were significantly higher in vegetarians than in omnivores (mean: 11.20 ± 4.27 vs. 8.64 ± 2.06 µmol/L; median: 10.5 vs. 8.5 µmol/L). Fasting plasma homocysteine was inversely correlated with plasma folate and vitamin B-12 in the vegetarian group. Multiple regression analysis revealed that plasma folate, vitamin B-12 and creatinine were independent determinants of homocysteine variation and contributed to 38.6% of homocysteine variation in the vegetarians. Compared with the omnivores, vegetarians also had significantly lower serum levels of valine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, alanine and arginine, but higher levels of glycine. In the vegetarian group, fasting plasma homocysteine correlated negatively with serum threonine, lysine, histidine, arginine and cystine, and these amino acids contributed to 38.7% of homocysteine variation. In conclusion, the Buddhist nuns who consumed a lacto-vegetarian diet had mildly elevated fasting plasma homocysteine levels presumably due to lower levels of plasma vitamin B-12.

KEY WORDS: • vegetarian diet • homocysteine • vitamin B-12 • folate • humans

This article has been cited by other articles:

				I. Elmadfa and I. Singer Vitamin B-12 and homocysteine status among vegetarians: a global perspective Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, May 1, 2009; 89(5): 1693S - 1698S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Y. Ingenbleek The Nutritional Relationship Linking Sulfur to Nitrogen in Living Organisms J. Nutr., June 1, 2006; 136(6): 1641S - 1651S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Koebnick, A. L. Garcia, P. C. Dagnelie, C. Strassner, J. Lindemans, N. Katz, C. Leitzmann, and I. Hoffmann Long-Term Consumption of a Raw Food Diet Is Associated with Favorable Serum LDL Cholesterol and Triglycerides but Also with Elevated Plasma Homocysteine and Low Serum HDL Cholesterol in Humans,2 J. Nutr., October 1, 2005; 135(10): 2372 - 2378. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Koebnick, I. Hoffmann, P. C. Dagnelie, U. A. Heins, S. N. Wickramasinghe, I. D. Ratnayaka, S. Gruendel, J. Lindemans, and C. Leitzmann Long-Term Ovo-Lacto Vegetarian Diet Impairs Vitamin B-12 Status in Pregnant Women J. Nutr., December 1, 2004; 134(12): 3319 - 3326. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Rodrigo, W. Passalacqua, J. Araya, M. Orellana, and G. Rivera Homocysteine and Essential Hypertension J. Clin. Pharmacol., December 1, 2003; 43(12): 1299 - 1306. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. H Haddad and J. S Tanzman What do vegetarians in the United States eat? Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, September 1, 2003; 78(3): 626S - 632. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]