Adolescents raised on strict macrobiotic diet show vitamin B12 deficiency and impaired cognitive function

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Adolescents raised on strict macrobiotic diet show vitamin B12 deficiency

and impaired cognitive function

 

[1][LINK] EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 28 AUGUST 2000 AT 08:00 ET US

 

Contact: Angela Smith

[2]asmith

301-530-7038

[3]American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

 

 

Adolescents who were fed a strict macrobiotic diet during infancy

and early childhood show signs of impaired cognitive function,

according to a study by Louwman et al. published in The American

Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The macrobiotic diet, usually

adhered to by families due to religious beliefs or purported health

benefits, is similar to a vegan diet in that animal products are

avoided and vitamin B-12 content is very low. Adolescents in the

study who had consumed the diet until an average age of 6 years and

had tested B12-deficient the year before the study scored

significantly lower than other groups of adolescents on tests

measuring intelligence, spatial ability and short-term memory.

 

The authors compared three groups of adolescents who were otherwise

matched for age and socioeconomic status. Two groups had previously

been fed a macrobiotic diet as babies and young children, though

their diets had subsequently been altered at an average age of 6 to

lactovegetarian or omnivorous. The year before the current study

one of the groups tested vitamin B-12 deficient (31 adolescents),

while the other group tested in the normal range of vitamin B-12

(17 adolescents). A third control group of 24 adolescents had been

raised since birth on an omnivorous diet including meat and dairy

products. A year after the measurement of B12 status, all three

groups were administered a broad spectrum of psychological tests

using standard methods to measure cognitive abilities and some

aspects of psychomotor functioning. After adjustment for age, a

significant association appeared between the adolescents' serum

B-12 concentrations and their performance on the fluid intelligence

portion of the test. The association was most pronounced in the

group of adolescents who, the year before, had been B12 deficient.

According to the authors, " Fluid intelligence is important because

it involves reasoning, the capacity to solve complex problems,

abstract thinking ability, and the ability to learn. Any defect in

this area may have far-reaching consequences for individual

functioning. " A significant association was also found between

serum B-12 concentrations and performance on the spatial ability

and short-term memory portions of the test.

 

Vitamin B12 is found only in animal products and hence is entirely

absent from vegan diets and nearly so from macrobiotic diets, which

may contain small amounts of fish. Severe B12 deficiency in infants

and children has previously been shown to produce delayed

psychomotor development and growth retardation. The earliest signs

of vitamin B12 deficiency in infants include apathy and lethargy

which is often accompanied by increasing irritability. B12

deficient adults and children may show neurological effects such as

lack of coordination, loss of skin sensation, diminished reflexes,

dementia, loss of memory, psychosis and mood disturbances. These

macrobiotic subjects were somewhat unique because the parents of

these Dutch adolescents were generally well-educated and of higher

socioeconomic status. Of the macrobiotic adolescents who had tested

B12 deficient the year before the study, 77% still had low B12

concentrations at the time of the study. This was most likely due

to the fact that their body stores may never have reached an

optimal level as infants and young children, and even after

changing to a lactovegetarian or lactovegetarian diet, their

moderate intakes of animal products were not sufficient to bring

them to normal B12 status.

 

The authors stress that the findings of their study point to an

association, but not a proven causal relationship, between B-12

status and cognitive functioning. Nevertheless, the implications of

the study are significant for any population that may be avoiding

the consumption of animal products.

 

###

 

Louwman, Marieke WJ et al. Signs of impaired cognitive function in

adolescents with marginal cobalamin status. Am J Clin Nut

2000;72:762-769.

 

For more information please contact Dr. Wija van Staveren at

[4]wya.VanStaveren@staff .nutepi.wau.NL

 

This media release is provided by The American Society for Clinical

Nutrition, to provide current information on nutrition-related

research. This information should not be construed as medical

advice. If you have a medical concern, consult your doctor.

 

To see the complete text of this article, please go to:

[5]http://www.FASEB.org/ascn/temp/ajcn/September/762-769-van%20Staveren.pdf

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References

 

1. http://www.EurekAlert.org/cgi/users/toc

2. ASmith

3. http://www.AJCN.org/

4. wya.VanStaveren

5. http://www.FASEB.org/ASCN/temp/AJCN/September/762-769-van%20staveren.pdf

6. http://www.EurekAlert.org/cgi/users/toc