Category Archives: Folate

Homocysteine and Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Posted on July 8, 2014 by Robert Barrington

Homocysteine is an intermediate metabolite of the methionine to cysteine pathway. Under normal circumstances homocysteine is synthesised back to methionine using the salvage pathway or is further metabolised to cysteine via the enzyme cystathionine beta-synthase. However, these two pathways rely … Continue reading →

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The Betaine Folate Relationship

Posted on June 7, 2014 by Robert Barrington

Epigenetics is the relatively new science interested in the interaction between the environment and DNA. Environmental changes can influence genetic make-up through stable modification to gene expression not mediated by changes in DNA sequence. This is achieved through methylation of … Continue reading →

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Synthetic Vitamins

Posted on December 27, 2013 by Robert Barrington

Reference to synthetic vitamins is in fact a misnomer, because all vitamins are synthesised and therefore synthetic. To clarify terminologies, it should be stated that plants generally synthesise vitamins using enzymes in metabolic pathways, whereas man synthesises vitamins using chemical … Continue reading →

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Zinc Absorption: Antagonised by Folate

Posted on December 18, 2013 by Robert Barrington

Zinc is an essential trace mineral in human nutrition that is required as a cofactor in a number of metalloenzymes. Its divergent functions include roles in oxidoreductase, hydrolase, lyase, isomerase, transferase and ligase metalloenzymes. Zinc is also used in gene … Continue reading →

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Vitamin B Insufficiencies In The Elderly

Posted on December 15, 2013 by Robert Barrington

It is often assumed that an ageing person has an inevitable slide into functional disability. Proponents of such an idea can readily find data from the literature showing reductions in muscle mass, deteriorations in cognitive function and increases in blood … Continue reading →

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Folic Acid: More Deficiencies

Posted on November 29, 2013 by Robert Barrington

Folic acid (here) is one of the B complex of vitamins, found in foods such as green leafy vegetables. Recent research based on work by Kilmer McCully in the 1960’s (here) has uncovered a role for folic acid in the … Continue reading →

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Low Fat Diets: More Confounding Variables

Posted on September 9, 2013 by Robert Barrington

roponents of the cholesterol theory of cardiovascular disease believe that dietary cholesterol and saturated fatty acids are the cause of cardiovascular disease. The mechanism for this we are told is based on the erroneous belief that dietary cholesterol and saturated … Continue reading →

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Diet Quality and Disease Risk

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Robert Barrington

Growing evidence suggests that diet quality plays an important role in determining future disease risk. Lifestyle diseases associated with poor quality diet include cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, metabolic syndrome and obesity. However, much of the research to date has focussed … Continue reading →

Posted in Alpha Linolenic Acid, Arachidonic Acid, Calcium, Carbohydrate, Cardiovascular Disease, Carotenoids, Folate, Linoleic Acid, Mediterranean Diet, Trans Fatty Acids, Vegetables, Vitamin D, Vitamin K | Comments Off on Diet Quality and Disease Risk

Folic Acid Supplementation in Intermediate Homocysteinaemia

Posted on February 15, 2013 by Robert Barrington

A high plasma concentration of homocysteine is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and studies have shown that 0.5 to 5 mg of folic acid as a dietary supplement can lower homocysteine by 25%. Cellular S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) is an intermediate … Continue reading →

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Homocysteine and Health

Posted on November 2, 2012 by Robert Barrington

Homocysteine is a metabolite of the amino acid methionine and elevated plasma levels are an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Homocysteine levels become elevated due to low intakes of vitamin B6, B12 or folate, which are required as co-factors … Continue reading →

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