B Vitamins for Anti-Aging Benefits

One of the things that I've noticed over the years of doing anti-aging and wellness medicine is that many do not know how to choose a good vitamin regimen.  Therefore, it is not uncommon for me to design vitamin/supplement regimens along with custom hormone replacement therapies because it's important to address the nutrient deficiencies along with the hormonal deficiencies for someone to benefit at the optimum level.  I have a list of core essentials that I recommend for every person (ex: omega-fish oils, anti-oxidants, magnesium, Bcomplex, etc) and I am a firm believer in pharmaceutical grade products when possible.  This often will require that you see a healthcare professional to obtain access to these higher quality nutraceuticals.  Here's an example of this when reviewing two forms of a B-vitamin.

Folate and Folic Acid are forms of a water-soluble B vitamin.  Folate occurs naturally in food, whereas folic acid is a synthetic form found in vitamins and fortified foods.  As we age, there is more potential to develop a folate deficiency.  This deficiency can affect cognitive function, depression, and elevated levels of homocysteine due to it's methylation properties.  Folic acid is converted to other forms of folate, but there is one biological form that is absorbed at the gut level, 5-MTHF, which is transported across the blood brain barrier leading to brain benefits.  This would be a reason to look for a high quality supplement with multiple forms of folate and including the 5-MTHF. This form of folate is used to methylate homocysteine and keep levels down as low as possible.  High levels of homocysteine are directly linked to heart disease.  I recently had my homocysteine level checked just to get another indicator of my heart health.

S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) is a critical metabolite in the folate pathway also.  There are more than 100 different methylation reactions affected by SAM and a healthy folate status is key to making things work properly.  For some there is a genetic polymorphism which affects their ability to convert folic acid and folate correctly.  This can result in high homocysteine levels that will eventually impact their heart in an adverse way.  This problem is unheard of in African-Americans, but affects approximately 10% of Caucasians and 20% of Latin and Mediterranean people.   We carry a specific product designed with this in mind along with other key forms of folate for cardiovascular and brain health.

Folate and methylation cycles are also affected by other B-vitamins.  Vitamin B6, B12, and B2 are essential to driving metabolism in the right direction with an effect on homocysteine, SAM, and even hormones.  A person with a history of depression should also consider a B-complex product as research strongly points to the connection to low folate and B vitamin levels.  This is why I always try to question a new client about their diet, vitamin, and lifestyle regimen.   I often point to one of our pharmaceutical grade B-complex products to ensure that a person receives a good amount of these key essentials. I also take it myself, daily!  But remember, and before you do the same, make sure to talk to a healthcare provider about the composition of the ingredients in the product you are interested in purchasing.  All vitamins are not created equal.


Be sure to call our team if we can help you to "B" as healthy as possible.   We are interested in helping you to feel better, look better, and to live better, longer.

Age Gracefully,
Dr. Sonja