Eating disorder and B12/ folate/ depression

[anotherwithpa]

I've found a few articles on B12 and eating disorder..its a bit of chicken and egg situation as in low B12 causes depresion, but eating disorder causes malnutrition say..I'm not sure what to conclude realy, see:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entre ... ervosa+B12

Physiol Behav. 1999 Mar;66(1):159-63.

Visceral protein and hematological status of women with bulimia nervosa and depressed controls.
Gendall KA, Bulik CM, Joyce PR.

University of Otago Department of Psychological Medicine, Christchurch
School of Medicine, New Zealand. kgendall@cope.wpic.pitt edu

Abstract
Serum visceral protein and hematological indices and their behavioral and
clinical correlates were determined in women with bulimia nervosa and
depressed controls. One hundred and fifty-two women who met DSM-IV criteria for bulimia nervosa and 68 women with DSM-IV major depression completed a structured clinical interview and had blood samples drawn prior to admission to outpatient treatment programs. Albumin and prealbumin concentrations were lower in the depressed women, possibly due to recent weight loss. Elevated transferrin values suggested mild iron deficiency in nearly one-fifth of women with bulimia nervosa. Of women with bulimia nervosa, the 10.7% who had hemoglobin and 5.1% who had vitamin B12 levels below the normal range were not distinguishable on measures of body mass index, binge eating, vomiting, or restriction frequency. The 4.3% with low prealbumin levels experienced significantly more episodes of binge eating and vomiting in the prior fortnight than those with normal values. Frequency of vomiting was also inversely associated with albumin concentration. Hamilton Depression Rating
Scale scores were inversely and linearly related to serum vitamin B12. Lower B12 levels in those with alcohol abuse/dependence did not explain the association between B12 and HDRS scores. No hematological indices were related to body mass index, binge eating or restriction frequency, or
restriction intensity. In summary, women with bulimia nervosa do not appear to be at greater risk of visceral protein or hematological abnormalities than psychiatric controls. It is suggested that a high frequency of vomiting and alcohol abuse/dependence, increases the risk of subclinical malnutrition in women with bulimia nervosa, and that poor vitamin B12 nutriture may interfere with the functioning of the serotonergic or catecholaminergic systems and contribute to depressive symptoms in bulimia nervosa.

PMID: 10222489 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]



And this implies low protein intake (B12 is a protein found in high protein
foods)



http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9062835

The nutrient intake of women with bulimia nervosa.
Gendall KA, Sullivan PE, Joyce PR, Carter FA, Bulik CM.

University Department of Psychological Medicine, Christchurch School of
Medicine, New Zealand.

Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the meal patterns and nutrient intake of women with bulimia nervosa (BN), and to compare them to clinical variables and recommended dietary allowances (RDA).

METHOD: The nutrient intake of 50 women with BN was analyzed from 14 day dietary records. The data were compared to the median intakes of a random sample of women and to the RDA. Clinical variables for the women with BN were also available.

RESULTS: Compared to nonbinge episodes per day, binge eating was
significantly higher in energy from sucrose, fat, saturated fatty acids
(SFA), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and lower in protein. Compared to the population median, binge eating was significantly lower in percent energy from protein, and higher in percent carbohydrate (CHO), sucrose, SFA, and MUFA, while nonbinge eating was significantly lower in percent energy from fat, SFA, and MUFA. Total intakes were significantly higher in energy and percent energy sucrose compared to the population. Despite significantly lower nonbinge energy intake, calcium, vitamins A and C, iron, and folate were not significantly different to the population median. However, one half or more of the subjects had less than two-thirds the RDA for nonbinge calcium, iron, zinc and for total intake one fourth remained less than two-thirds the RDA for iron and zinc.

CONCLUSION: Nonbinge eating was characterized by low energy intake and by low intake of iron, calcium, and zinc. Binge eating, characterized by high sucrose and SFA content, overcompensated for these low energy intakes. Where treatment reduces or eliminates binge eating, it should also encourage consumption of regular meals and in particular, consumption of foods rich in zinc and iron.

PMID: 9062835 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]



This shows the risk of depresion and B12 def and the connection with brain matter....Alzheimer/ dementia is related to low B12 / and or folate and high homocysteine..





Vascular risk and low serum B12 predict white matter lesions in patients
with major depression

Received 28 April 2004; revised 15 November 2004; accepted 15 November
2004. Available online 11 January 2005.

Abstract
Background
While patients with depression have been shown to have a greater incidence of vascular risk factors and structural brain changes, any association with dietary co-factors is unclear.

Methods
Forty-seven patients with major depression (mean age=52.8 years, SD=12.6) and 21 healthy volunteers (mean age=54.7 years, SD=9.1) underwent high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging scanning. T2-weighted films were scored for deep white matter (DWM), periventricular (PV), and subcortical (SC) hyperintensities.

Results
There was no difference in lesion severity between patients and control
subjects. After controlling for age, vitamin B12 levels were predictive of
DWM lesions in patients. DWM and SC lesions were associated with histories of hypertension and diabetes.

Limitations
A relatively small sample of patients were recruited from specialist
services and the findings may not represent those observed in larger or
community-based cohorts.

Conclusions
In patients with major depression, vitamin B12 levels and histories of
hypertension and/or diabetes are predictive of white matter lesions.

Keywords: Depression; White matter; Vitamin B12; Folate; Vascular;
Homocysteine



This implies that low B12/ folate increaes the risk of depresion / bipolar




Effect of the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene polymorphisms on homocysteine, folate and vitamin B12 in patients with bipolar disorder and relatives

Received 9 November 2007; revised 24 April 2008; accepted 25 April 2008.
Available online 2 May 2008.


Abstract
We investigated the effect of polymorphic variants of c.1298A>C (Glu429Ala) and c.677C>T (Ala222Val) in methylenetetrahydrofolate (MTHFR) gene on the total homocysteine (tHcy), folate and B12 levels in patients with bipolar disorder, first-degree relatives of patients, and controls. The c.677C>T and c.1298A>C polymorphisms in MTHFR were determined by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism in 197 bipolar patients, 278 relatives and 238 controls. tHcy and folate and vitamin B12 levels were measured by Fluorescence Polarization Immunoassay and Electrochemiluminescence, respectively. The tHcy was significantly increased in patients and relatives. In contrast, folate and B12 were significantly lower in patients and relatives. Gender was not considered as a significant determinant in the multivariate analysis. Genotypes of c.1298A>C and c.677C>T were correlated with tHcy, folate and B12. Patients and relatives carrying TT and/or AA and AC genotypes had elevated tHcy and reduced folate and B12 levels. High tHcy but low folate and vitamin B12 levels may be a risk factor for development of bipolar disorder.

Keywords: Bipolar disorder; Homocysteine; MTHFR; Relatives; Vitamin B12