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B Vitamins May Have ‘Protective Effect’ Against Air Pollution

  • March 14, 2017

In a small, but groundbreaking study, researchers have found that high doses of B vitamins may completely offset damage caused by fine particulate air pollution, BBC.com reports. The study’s B vitamin supplement contained folic acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12.

B vitamins have been in the news quite a bit lately, as researchers discover their importance in your everyday health, including brain health. For example, new studies show vitamins B6, B8 and B12 significantly reduce symptoms associated with schizophrenia — more so than standard drug treatments alone. High dose niacin (B3) is another effective treatment.

Additionally, vitamins B6, B9 (folate/folic acid) and B12 may help prevent cognitive decline and more serious dementia such as Alzheimer's disease, while B3 may treat attention deficit disorder, general psychosis, anxiety, depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder. One way of getting B vitamins is through a simple multivitamin, but it’s worth noting that some of the studies did include quite high doses in the trials, that would not come in an ordinary supplement.

Another concern is whether your body can adequately absorb huge loads of B vitamins through supplementation alone. That’s why it’s important to know you can also get B vitamins from foods such as meat, poultry, eggs, dairy products and wild-caught fish.

Vitamin B6 can be found in turkey, beef, avocado and spinach. B9 is found in fresh, raw, organic leafy green vegetables, especially broccoli, asparagus, spinach, and turnip greens. B12 is found in beef and beef liver, lamb, snapper, venison, salmon, shrimp, scallops, poultry, eggs, and dairy products.