- Overview
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My research interests relate to underlying mechanisms of nutrition and disease risk. I am eager to contribute to targeted and population-based prevention strategies of chronic diseases. My research specifically focuses on B-vitamins and their functions in human metabolism. B-vitamins are essential nutrients for normal cell growth and the nervous system and thus have an impact on human health from the embryo to the older adult. Low folate and/or vitamin B-12 status may yield pregnancy complications, low birth weight, and cognitive impairment.
The overarching theme of my research is nutrient adequacy. My current research projects focus on maternal-fetal nutrient dependency, periconceptional vitamin adequacy, and the role of maternal and infant nutrition on growth and development. In the UBC Nutritional Biomarker Laboratory that I established, my team has set up a wide array of externally validated analytical methods. One of our goals is to identify sensitive nutritional biomarkers for early diagnosis of micronutrient inadequacies. With the use of stable-isotope-tracer-protocols, we are able to investigate metabolic and functional consequences of nutrient inadequacies and imbalances. The studies help evaluate optimal vitamin intake to maintain biochemical functions. I am specifically interested in the metabolic effects of folic acid and less than optimal vitamin B-12 intake.
- Publications
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Is the Generation of Active Vitamin B6 Dependent upon Riboflavin Status? New Analysis of Data from RCTs of Riboflavin Supplementation
Proceedings
Ryan Barlow and Helene McNulty and Catherine Hughes and Kristina Pentieva and Geraldine Horigan and Yvonne Lamers and Mary Ward
DOI: 10.3390/proceedings2023091436
08/2024Exploring the parity paradox: Differential effects on neuroplasticity and inflammation by APOEe4 genotype at middle age
Brain, Behavior, and Immunity
DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2024.05.019
2024Maternal Iron and Vitamin D Status during the Second Trimester Is Associated with Third Trimester Depression Symptoms among Pregnant Participants in the APrON Cohort
Journal of Nutrition
DOI: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2023.10.029
2024Early Pregnancy Folic Acid Supplement Use and Folate Status in the Alberta Pregnancy Outcomes and Nutrition (APrON) Study
Proceedings
Amy Tan and Maria F. Mujica-Coopman and Nicole Letourneau and Deborah Dewey and Gerald Giesbrecht and Catherine Field and Yvonne Lamers
DOI: 10.3390/proceedings2023091100
12/2023Epigenetic effects of folate and related B vitamins on brain health throughout life: Scientific substantiation and translation of the evidence for health improvement strategies
Nutrition Bulletin
Caffrey, A. and Lamers, Y. and Murphy, M.M. and Letourneau, N. and Irwin, R.E. and Pentieva, K. and Ward, M. and Tan, A. and Rojas-G{\'o}mez, A. and Santos-Calder{\'o}n, L.A. and Canals-Sans, J. and Leung, B.M.Y. and Bell, R. and Giesbrecht, G.F. and Dewey, D. and Field, C.J. and Kobor, M. and Walsh, C.P. and McNulty, H.
DOI: 10.1111/nbu.12611
2023Exploring the parity paradox: Differential effects on neuroplasticity and neuroinflammation by APOEe4 genotype at middle-age
bioRxiv
Lee, B.H. and Cevizci, M. and Lieblich, S.E. and Ibrahim, M. and Wen, Y. and Eid, R.S. and Lamers, Y. and Duarte-Guterman, P. and Galea, L.A.M.
DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.12.548731
2023Long-term cellular and molecular signatures of pregnancy in the adult and ageing brain
bioRxiv
Duarte-Guterman, P. and Richard, J.E. and Lieblich, S.E. and Eid, R.S. and Lamers, Y. and Galea, L.A.M.
DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.24.529879
2023Cellular and molecular signatures of motherhood in the adult and ageing rat brain
Open Biology
Duarte-Guterman, P. and Richard, J.E. and Lieblich, S.E. and Eid, R.S. and Lamers, Y. and Galea, L.A.M.
DOI: 10.1098/rsob.230217
2023Vitamin B-12 Requirements in Older Adults—Increasing Evidence Substantiates the Need To Re-Evaluate Recommended Amounts and Dietary Sources
The Journal of Nutrition
Yvonne Lamers
DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxac179
11/2022Folic acid intervention during pregnancy alters DNA methylation, affecting neural target genes through two distinct mechanisms
Clinical Epigenetics
Ondi?ov{\'a}, M. and Irwin, R.E. and Thursby, S.-J. and Hilman, L. and Caffrey, A. and Cassidy, T. and McLaughlin, M. and Lees-Murdock, D.J. and Ward, M. and Murphy, M. and Lamers, Y. and Pentieva, K. and McNulty, H. and Walsh, C.P.
DOI: 10.1186/s13148-022-01282-y
2022Vitamin B-6 and riboflavin, their metabolic interaction, and relationship with MTHFR genotype in adults aged 18–102 years
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Jarrett, H. and McNulty, H. and Hughes, C.F. and Pentieva, K. and Strain, J.J. and McCann, A. and McAnena, L. and Cunningham, C. and Molloy, A.M. and Flynn, A. and Hopkins, S.M. and Horigan, G. and O'Connor, C. and Walton, J. and McNulty, B.A. and Gibney, M.J. and Lamers, Y. and Ward, M.
DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/nqac240
2022Impact of high-dose folic acid supplementation in pregnancy on biomarkers of folate status and 1-carbon metabolism: An ancillary study of the Folic Acid Clinical Trial (FACT)
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Malia SQ Murphy and Katherine A Muldoon and Hauna Sheyholislami and Nathalie Behan and Yvonne Lamers and Natalie Rybak and Ruth Rennicks White and Alysha LJ Harvey and Laura M Gaudet and Graeme N Smith and Mark C Walker and Shi Wu Wen and Amanda J MacFarlane
DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/nqaa407
05/2021Postpartum corticosterone and fluoxetine shift the tryptophan-kynurenine pathway in dams
bioRxiv
Qiu, W. and Go, K.A. and Lamers, Y. and Galea, L.A.M.
DOI: 10.1101/2021.02.11.430473
2021Maternal vitamin B 12 status in early pregnancy and its association with birth outcomes in Canadian mother-newborn Dyads
British Journal of Nutrition
Tan, A. and Sinclair, G. and Mattman, A. and Vallance, H.D. and Lamers, Y.
DOI: 10.1017/S0007114521000581
2021Detectable Unmetabolized Folic Acid and Elevated Folate Concentrations in Folic Acid-Supplemented Canadian Children With Sickle Cell Disease
Frontiers in Nutrition
Williams, B.A. and Mayer, C. and McCartney, H. and Devlin, A.M. and Lamers, Y. and Vercauteren, S.M. and Wu, J.K. and Karakochuk, C.D.
DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2021.642306
2021Maternal plasma folate concentration is positively associated with serum total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein across the three trimesters of pregnancy.
Scientific reports
da Silva MT and Mujica-Coopman MF and Figueiredo ACC and Hampel D and Vieira LS and Farias DR and Shahab-Ferdows S and Allen LH and Brito A and Lamers Y and Kac G and S Vaz J
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-77231-7
PubMed: 33214613
11/2020Knowledge gaps in understanding the metabolic and clinical effects of excess folates/folic acid: a summary, and perspectives, from an NIH workshop.
The American journal of clinical nutrition
Maruvada P and Stover PJ and Mason JB and Bailey RL and Davis CD and Field MS and Finnell RH and Garza C and Green R and Gueant JL and Jacques PF and Klurfeld DM and Lamers Y and Zappalà G
DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/nqaa259
PubMed: 33022704
11/2020Development of novel Vitamin B12 fortified yogurts using isolated and microencapsulated Vitamin B12
Proceedings of the Nutrition Society
Larisse Melo and Clementine Ng and Ricky Tsang and Anubhav Pratap Singh and David Kitts and Yvonne Lamers
DOI: 10.1017/s0029665120002128
06/2020Plasma riboflavin concentration as novel indicator for vitamin-B2 status assessment: suggested cutoffs and its association with vitamin-B6 status in women
Proceedings of the Nutrition Society
Amy Tan and Mohammad Zubair and Chia-ling Ho and Liadhan McAnena and Helene McNulty and Mary Ward and Yvonne Lamers
DOI: 10.1017/s0029665120006072
06/2020Plasma Free Choline Concentration Did Not Reflect Dietary Choline Intake in Early and Late Pregnancy: Findings from the APrON Study.
Current developments in nutrition
Mujica M and Lewis E and Jacobs R and Letourneau N and Bell R and Field C and Lamers Y
05/2020Plasma Choline Concentration Is Positively Correlated with Visual Acuity in 18-Month Old Toddlers: Preliminary Findings.
Current developments in nutrition
Montgomery S and Rossen L and Zibrik D and Dyer R and Oberlander T and Lamers Y
05/2020Nutritional Status in Breastfed 18-Month Old Toddlers: Cross-Sectional Findings.
Current developments in nutrition
Montgomery S and Ho G and Rossen L and Zibrik D and Dyer R and Oberlander T and Lamers Y
05/2020Vitamin B-12 Biomarkers Reviewed: Holotranscobalamin Allows Identification of Vitamin B12 Deficiency in Children with Short-Bowel Syndrome.
Current developments in nutrition
St-Cyr C and Lamers Y and Casey L and Saunders M and Sinclair G and Mattman A
05/2020Detectable Unmetabolized Folic Acid, and Sufficient Folate and Vitamin B12 Concentrations Are Evident in Canadian Children with Sickle Cell Disease.
Current developments in nutrition
Williams B and McCartney H and Lamers Y and Vercauteren S and Wu J and Karakochuk C
05/2020Blood DHA, Choline, and Lutein Concentrations and Their Correlation with Cognitive and Behavioral Outcomes in 18-Month Old Toddlers: Preliminary Findings.
Current developments in nutrition
Rossen L and Montgomery S and Zibrik D and Dyer R and Oberlander T and Lamers Y
05/2020Postpartum fluoxetine increases maternal hippocampal IL-1ß and decreased plasma tryptophan: clues for efficacy
Qiu W and Duarte-Guterman P and Eid RS and Go KA and Lamers Y and Galea LAM
DOI: 10.1101/2020.02.22.960021
02/2020Is folate deficiency a common cause of distal symmetric polyneuropathy in Zambian clinics?
Journal of the Neurological Sciences
Kvalsund, M. and Kayamba, V. and Kelly, P. and Birbeck, G.L. and Mwansa-Thurman, C. and Sommer, I.N. and Lamers, Y. and Gardiner, J. and Herrmann, D.N.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2019.116583
2020Maternal and cord blood folate concentrations are inversely associated with fetal DNA hydroxymethylation, but not DNA methylation, in a cohort of pregnant Canadian women
Journal of Nutrition
Plumptre, L. and Tammen, S.A. and Sohn, K.-J. and Masih, S.P. and Visentin, C.E. and Aufreiter, S. and Malysheva, O. and Schroder, T.H. and Ly, A. and Berger, H. and Croxford, R. and Lamers, Y. and Caudill, M.A. and Choi, S.-W. and O'Connor, D.L. and Kim, Y.-I.
DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxz232
2020Postpartum fluoxetine increased maternal inflammatory signalling and decreased tryptophan metabolism: Clues for efficacy
Neuropharmacology
Qiu, W. and Duarte-Guterman, P. and Eid, R.S. and Go, K.A. and Lamers, Y. and Galea, L.A.M.
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2020.108174
2020Micronutrient intakes of lactating mothers and their association with breast milk concentrations and micronutrient adequacy of exclusively breastfed Indonesian infants
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/nqz047
08/2019Maternal Plasma Pyridoxal 5'-Phosphate Concentration Is Inversely Associated with Plasma Cystathionine Concentration across All Trimesters in Healthy Pregnant Women
The Journal of Nutrition
DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxz082
08/2019Reference intervals for serum total vitamin B12 and holotranscobalamin concentrations and their change points with methylmalonic acid concentration to assess vitamin B12 status during early and mid-pregnancy
Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (CCLM)
DOI: 10.1515/cclm-2018-1337
05/2019Approaches to improving micronutrient status assessment at the population level
Proceedings of the Nutrition Society
DOI: 10.1017/S0029665118002781
2019Variability of water-soluble forms of choline concentrations in human milk during storage, after pasteurization, and among women
Nutrients
Moukarzel, S. and Wiedeman, A.M. and Soberanes, L.S. and Dyer, R.A. and Innis, S.M. and Lamers, Y.
DOI: 10.3390/nu11123024
2019Associations between the level of trace elements and minerals and folate in maternal serum and amniotic fluid and congenital abnormalities
Nutrients
Kocylowski, R. and Grzesiak, M. and Gaj, Z. and Lorenc, W. and Bakinowska, E. and Bara?kiewicz, D. and von Kaisenberg, C.S. and Lamers, Y. and Suliburska, J.
DOI: 10.3390/nu11020328
2019Evaluation of folate concentration in amniotic fluid and maternal and umbilical cord blood during labor
Archives of Medical Science
Suliburska, J. and Kocy?owski, R. and Grzesiak, M. and Gaj, Z. and Chan, B. and Von Kaisenberg, C. and Lamers, Y.
DOI: 10.5114/aoms.2018.78776
2019Formate concentrations in maternal plasma during pregnancy and in cord blood in a cohort of pregnant Canadian women: Relations to genetic polymorphisms and plasma metabolites
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Brosnan, J.T. and Plumptre, L. and Brosnan, M.E. and Pongnopparat, T. and Masih, S.P. and Visentin, C.E. and Berger, H. and Lamers, Y. and Caudill, M.A. and Malysheva, O.V. and O'Connor, D.L. and Kim, Y.-I.
DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/nqz152
2019Serum Betaine and Dimethylglycine Are Higher in South Asian Compared with European Pregnant Women in Canada, with Betaine and Total Homocysteine Inversely Associated in Early and Midpregnancy, Independent of Ethnicity
Journal of Nutrition
Mujica-Coopman, M.F. and Tan, A. and Schroder, T.H. and Sinclair, G. and Vallance, H.D. and Lamers, Y.
DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxz178
2019Periconceptional intake of folic acid among low-risk women in Canada: Summary of a workshop aiming to align prenatal folic acid supplement composition with current expert guidelines
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Lamers, Y. and MacFarlane, A.J. and O'Connor, D.L. and Fontaine-Bisson, B.
DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/nqy212
2018Correlations between maternal, breast milk, and infant vitamin B12 concentrations among mother-infant dyads in Vancouver, Canada and Prey Veng, Cambodia: An exploratory analysis
Nutrients
Chebaya, P. and Karakochuk, C.D. and March, K.M. and Chen, N.N. and Stamm, R.A. and Kroeun, H. and Sophonneary, P. and Borath, M. and Shahab-Ferdows, S. and Hampel, D. and Barr, S.I. and Lamers, Y. and Houghton, L.A. and Allen, L.H. and Green, T.J. and Whitfield, K.C.
DOI: 10.3390/nu9030270
2017Barriers and facilitators to recruitment of South Asians to health research: A scoping review
BMJ Open
Quay, T.A.W. and Frimer, L. and Janssen, P.A. and Lamers, Y.
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-014889
2017Vitamin B-6 status in unsupplemented pregnant women is associated positively with serum docosahexaenoic acid and inversely with the n-6-to-n-3 fatty acid ratio
Journal of Nutrition
Mujica-Coopman, M.F. and Franco-Sena, A.B. and Farias, D.R. and Vaz, J.S. and Brito, A. and Kac, G. and Lamers, Y.
DOI: 10.3945/jn.116.239483
2017Pregnant women of South Asian ethnicity in Canada have substantially lower vitamin B12 status compared with pregnant women of European ethnicity
British Journal of Nutrition
Schroder, T.H. and Sinclair, G. and Mattman, A. and Jung, B. and Barr, S.I. and Vallance, H.D. and Lamers, Y.
DOI: 10.1017/S0007114517002331
2017South asian ethnicity is related to the highest risk of vitamin b12 deficiency in pregnant canadian women
Nutrients
Jeruszka-Bielak, M. and Isman, C. and Schroder, T.H. and Li, W. and Green, T.J. and Lamers, Y.
DOI: 10.3390/nu9040317
2017Low serum vitamin B-12 concentrations are prevalent in a cohort of pregnant Canadian women
Journal of Nutrition
Visentin, C.E. and Masih, S.P. and Plumptre, L. and Schroder, T.H. and Sohn, K.-J. and Ly, A. and Lausman, A.Y. and Berger, H. and Croxford, R. and Lamers, Y. and Kim, Y.-I. and O'Connor, D.L.
DOI: 10.3945/jn.115.226845
2016Folic acid fortified milk increases blood folate to concentrations associated with a very low risk of neural tube defects in Singaporean women of childbearing age
Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Cheong, M. and Xiao, H.Y. and Tay, V. and Karakochuk, C.D. and Liu, Y.A. and Harvey, S. and Lamers, Y. and Houghton, L.A. and Kitts, D.D. and Green, T.J.
DOI: 10.6133/apjcn.2016.25.1.08
2016Reference interval of methylmalonic acid concentrations in dried blood spots of healthy, term newborns to facilitate neonatal screening of vitamin B12 deficiency
Clinical Biochemistry
Schroder, T.H. and Mattman, A. and Sinclair, G. and Vallance, H.D. and Lamers, Y.
DOI: 10.1016/j.clinbiochem.2016.03.007
2016Prevalence and predictors of low vitamin B6 status in healthy young adult women in metro vancouver
Nutrients
Ho, C.-L. and Quay, T.A.W. and Devlin, A.M. and Lamers, Y.
DOI: 10.3390/nu8090538
2016High prevalence of suboptimal vitamin B
12 status in young adult women of South Asian and European ethnicity
Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism
Quay, T.A.W. and Schroder, T.H. and Jeruszka-Bielak, M. and Li, W. and Devlin, A.M. and Barr, S.I. and Lamers, Y.
DOI: 10.1139/apnm-2015-0200
2015Genetic hemoglobin disorders rather than iron deficiency are a major predictor of hemoglobin concentration in women of reproductive age in rural prey veng, Cambodia
Journal of Nutrition
Karakochuk, C.D. and Whitfield, K.C. and Barr, S.I. and Lamers, Y. and Devlin, A.M. and Vercauteren, S.M. and Kroeun, H. and Talukder, A. and McLean, J. and Green, T.J.
DOI: 10.3945/jn.114.198945
2015Methylmalonic acid quantified in dried blood spots provides a precise, valid, and stable measure of functional vitamin b-12 status in healthy women
Journal of Nutrition
Schroder, T.H. and Quay, T.A.W. and Lamers, Y.
DOI: 10.3945/jn.114.194829
2014Metabolomic Analysis Reveals Extended Metabolic Consequences of Marginal Vitamin B-6 Deficiency in Healthy Human Subjects
PLoS ONE
Gregory III, J.F. and Park, Y. and Lamers, Y. and Bandyopadhyay, N. and Chi, Y.-Y. and Lee, K. and Kim, S. and da Silva, V. and Hove, N. and Ranka, S. and Kahveci, T. and Muller, K.E. and Stevens, R.D. and Newgard, C.B. and Stacpoole, P.W. and Jones, D.P.
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0063544
2013Red blood cell folate levels in pregnant women with a history of mood disorders: A case series
Birth Defects Research Part A - Clinical and Molecular Teratology
Yaremco, E. and Inglis, A. and Innis, S.M. and Hippman, C. and Carrion, P. and Lamers, Y. and Honer, W.G. and Austin, J.
DOI: 10.1002/bdra.23144
2013Metabolite profile analysis reveals functional effects of 28-day vitamin b-6 restriction on one-carbon metabolism and tryptophan catabolic pathways in healthymen andwomen
Journal of Nutrition
da Silva, V.R. and Rios-Avila, L. and Lamers, Y. and Ralat, M.A. and Midttun, O. and Quinlivan, E.P. and Garrett, T.J. and Coats, B. and Shankar, M.N. and Percival, S.S. and Chi, Y.-Y. and Muller, K.E. and Ueland, P.M. and Stacpoole, P.W. and Gregory III, J.F.
DOI: 10.3945/jn.113.180588
2013Marginal vitamin B-6 deciency decreases plasma (n-3) and (n-6) PUFA concentrations in healthy men and women
Journal of Nutrition
Zhao, M. and Lamers, Y. and Ralat, M.A. and Coats, B.S. and Chi, Y.-Y. and Muller, K.E. and Bain, J.R. and Shankar, M.N. and Newgard, C.B. and Stacpoole, P.W. and Gregory III, J.F.
DOI: 10.3945/jn.112.163246
2012Global hypothesis testing for high-dimensional repeated measuresoutcomes
Statistics in Medicine
Chi, Y.-Y. and Gribbin, M. and Lamers, Y. and Gregory, J.F. and Muller, K.E.
DOI: 10.1002/sim.4435
2012Indicators and methods for folate, vitamin B-12, and vitamin B-6 status assessment in humans
Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care
Lamers, Y.
DOI: 10.1097/MCO.0b013e328349f9a7
2011Folate recommendations for pregnancy, lactation, and infancy
Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism
Lamers, Y.
DOI: 10.1159/000332073
2011Moderate vitamin B-6 restriction does not alter postprandial methionine cycle rates of remethylation, transmethylation, and total transsulfuration but increases the fractional synthesis rate of cystathionine in healthy young men and women
Journal of Nutrition
Lamers, Y. and Coats, B. and Ralat, M. and Quinlivan, E.P. and Stacpoole, P.W. and Gregory, J.F.
DOI: 10.3945/jn.110.134197
2011Kinetics of folate and one-carbon metabolism
Folate in Health and Disease, Second Edition
2009Production of 1-carbon units from glycine is extensive in healthy men and women 1,2
Journal of Nutrition
Lamers, Y. and Williamson, J. and Theriaque, D.W. and Shuster, J.J. and Gilbert, L.R. and Keeling, C. and Stacpoole, P.W. and Gregory, J.F.
DOI: 10.3945/jn.108.103580
2009Vitamin B-6 restriction tends to reduce the red blood cell glutathione synthesis rate without affecting red blood cell or plasma glutathione concentrations in healthy men and women
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Lamers, Y. and O'Rourke, B. and Gilbert, L.R. and Keeling, C. and Matthews, D.E. and Stacpoole, P.W. and Gregory III, J.F.
DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.2009.27747
2009Supplementation with a multivitamin containing 800 µg of folic acid shortens the time to reach the preventive red blood cell folate concentration in healthy women
International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research
Brämswig, S. and Prinz-Langenohl, R. and Lamers, Y. and Tobolski, O. and Wintergerst, E. and Berthold, H.K. and Pietrzik, K.
DOI: 10.1024/0300-9831.79.2.61
2009Moderate dietary vitamin B-6 restriction raises plasma glycine and cystathionine concentrations while minimally affecting the rates of glycine turnover and glycine cleavage in healthy men and women
Journal of Nutrition
DOI: 10.3945/jn.108.099184
2009A mathematical model gives insights into the effects of vitamin B-6 deficiency on 1-carbon and glutathione metabolism
Journal of Nutrition
Nijhout, H.F. and Gregory, J.F. and Fitzpatrick, C. and Cho, E. and Lamers, K.Y. and Ulrich, C.M. and Reed, M.C.
DOI: 10.3945/jn.109.104265
2009Reply to EP Quinlivan
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Lamers, Y. and Pietrzik, K.
DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/87.5.1538
2008Glycine Turnover and Decarboxylation Rate Quantified in Healthy Men and Women Using Primed, Constant Infusions of [1,2-13C2]Glycine and [2H3]Leucine
The Journal of Nutrition
Yvonne Lamers and Jerry Williamson and Lesa R. Gilbert and Peter W. Stacpoole and Jesse F. Gregory
DOI: 10.1093/jn/137.12.2647
2007Calculation of red blood cell folate steady state conditions and elimination kinetics after daily supplementation with various folate forms and doses in women of childbearing age
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Pietrzik, K. and Lamers, Y. and Brämswig, S. and Prinz-Langenohl, R.
DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/86.5.1414
2007Red blood cell folate concentrations increase more after supplementation with [6S]-5-methyltetrahydrofolate than with folic acid in women of childbearing age
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Lamers, Y. and Prinz-Langenohl, R. and Brämswig, S. and Pietrzik, K.
DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/84.1.156
2006Supplementation with [6S]-5-methyltetrahydrofolate or folic acid equally reduces plasma total homocysteine concentrations in healthy women
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Yvonne Lamers and Reinhild Prinz-Langenohl and Rudolf Moser and Klaus Pietrzik
DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/79.3.473
03/2004 - Research
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DERiVE: DEvelopment of Riboflavin biomarkers to relate dietary sources with status, gene-nutrient Interactions and Validated health Effects in adult cohorts (JPI-HDHL)
Vitamin B2 plays a crucial role in human development and health across the lifespan. Recently, an increase in vitamin B2 intake was suggested to having a reducing effect on blood pressure. In most countries, there is little or no knowledge about the vitamin B2 nutrition status of the population due to the lack of convenient blood indicators and assessment tools. Dietary records are the sole source of information for most countries; however these do not reflect the biochemical status of the population which is a better indicator of health effects. In this international and multidisciplinary project, we aim to develop accessible blood indicators for vitamin B2 status assessment and identify which most sensitively reflect dietary intakes and food sources of vitamin B2 in Irish and Canadian adults. We will also demonstrate an important health effect of vitamin B2 by investigating its role in modulating blood pressure via a novel gene-nutrient interactive effect. In summary, sub-optimal vitamin B2 status may be more widespread than is generally recognized across the developed world, because of the reliance on dietary data only in nutrition surveys, without blood indicator evidence. This project will address this gap by developing accessible vitamin B2 blood indicators for use in population surveys globally, and by demonstrating important functional, gene-nutrient and health effects of optimal vitamin B2 status in Canadian, Irish and UK cohorts.
JPI-HDHL Call "Biomarkers in Nutrition and Health;" CIHR Team Grant (PI: Yvonne Lamers)
Webpage: www.derive-riboflavin.comEpigenetic Effects of B Vitamins on Brain Health Throughout Life
B vitamins play an important role in brain development and function. Not only have previous studies observed an association between maternal folate status during pregnancy and cognitive performance in offspring, but optimal folate and related B-vitamin status may also prevent cognitive decline in later life. Epigenetics, which involves modifications to DNA without affecting the sequence, can influence gene expression and may be a possible mechanism linking B vitamins and brain outcomes. The EpiBrain project, a collaboration among research teams in Canada, United Kingdom and Spain, aims to investigate the nutrition-epigenome-brain relationship across the lifespan in hopes of improved understanding of the role of B vitamins, their effects on the epigenome and brain function in childhood and older age.
JPI-HDHL Call "Nutrition & the Epigenome;" CIHR Team Grant (Lead PI: Yvonne Lamers)
BCCHR Co-Investigator: Dr. Michael Kobor, Investigator at the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics
International Co-Principal Investigators: Dr. Nicole Letourneau (University of Calgary), Dr. Helene McNulty (Ulster University, Northern Ireland), Dr. Michelle Murphy (Universitat Rovira i Virgili)Vitamins in Pregnancy and Infancy – Defining Adequacy for Maternal and Child Health
Early development during pregnancy and infancy, also described as the first 1000 days of life, is characterized by rapid growth and increased nutrient demands. Low vitamin status during this critical time period can impair fetal and infant growth and development, and predispose the child to potential long-term health consequences.
Maternal vitamin B12 status during pregnancy has been described to have a long-term impact on neonatal and infant vitamin B12 status. Vitamin B12, as well as folate, vitamin B6, and riboflavin, play key roles in the one-carbon metabolism crucial for DNA synthesis and methylation. Our research focuses on defining sensitive biomarkers of B-vitamin status in various stages of pregnancy and their association with infant vitamin status and growth indicators.
This project is in collaboration with Dr. Hilary Vallance, Director of the Newborn Screening Program in B.C. and Yukon, Dr. Graham Sinclair, Biochemical Geneticist, BC Newborn Screening Program at BC Children’s Hospital and Dr. Andre Mattman, Medical Biochemist at St. Paul’s Hospital.Newborn Screening as an Opportunity to Monitor for Nutritional Vitamin Deficiencies
Vitamin B12 deficiency in the infant develops in the first year of life and can lead to developmental delays. Screening for vitamin B12 deficiency is generally done by measuring serum (or plasma) total vitamin B12 concentrations. We recently developed a novel method for quantification of methylmalonic acid (MMA) in dried blood spots (DBS), which allows convenient and minimally invasive assessment of functional vitamin B12 status. The method is 10-fold more sensitive than currently existing screening test and able to quantify DBS MMA in ranges of vitamin B12 deficiency secondary to maternal deficiency. We estimated a reference interval for DBS MMA concentrations in healthy, term newborns (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27040901/). In light of the detrimental and potentially irreversible consequences of vitamin B12 deficiency, early diagnosis is crucial and ideally established for all newborns.Derivation of Early Indicators for Diagnosis and Treatment of Vitamin B12 Deficiency in Children
Vitamin B12 deficiency in early childhood can result in severe and permanent adverse health consequences; however, there is a lack of an accurate tool for vitamin B12 deficiency diagnosis in children. Blood vitamin B12 levels are evaluated against adult normal values, yet early consequences may occur before blood levels appear to be “abnormal”. Our research team recently developed a new method to measure a more sensitive marker of vitamin B12 deficiency. By comparing the new method with clinical vitamin B12 testing in blood of at-risk children, we aim to define levels of vitamin B12 deficiency that warrant early treatment.
Co-Principal Investigator: Dr. Linda Casey, Director of the BC Children’s Hospital Intestinal Rehabilitation Program (CHIRP).Riboflavin and Vitamin B6 Status in Young and Older Adult Women
Vitamin B6 is essential to mount an adequate immune response and to maintain a healthy nervous system. Although research shows that dietary intake of vitamin B6 among Canadians is low, no clear data exists as to whether Canadians are living with suboptimal or deficient biochemical vitamin B6 status. Suboptimal vitamin B6 status has been linked to cardiovascular diseases, stroke, and cancer. Specifically, there is a higher risk of developing ovarian cancer and breast cancer, which puts women into special focus.
In two cross-sectional studies, we determined the prevalence and determinants of vitamin B6 deficiency and suboptimal vitamin B6 status in young adult women (aged 19-35 years) and older adult women (aged 51-70 years). We found a 12% prevalence (https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/8/9/538) of low vitamin B6 status in young adult women. Further, we identified relative dietary vitamin B6 intake and the use of vitamin B6 containing supplements to be positive predictors, and body mass index and South Asian ethnicity to be negative predictors of vitamin B6 status. The data on older adult women are currently being evaluated.Functional Consequences of Suboptimal B-Vitamin Status
A mounting number of epidemiologic studies have shown that suboptimal vitamin status, the ‘grey zone’ between adequacy and deficiency, is associated with a higher risk of chronic diseases. Suboptimal vitamin B12 status for example has been associated with an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes such as spina bifida, and faster cognitive decline in older adults. Suboptimal vitamin B6 status has been linked with cardiovascular diseases and cancer. We are interested in contributing to the understanding of the underlying mechanisms between inadequacy and disease development by studying the biochemical alterations in stages of suboptimal vitamin status using stable isotope tracer protocols. Our research will contribute to the understanding of the metabolic and physiologic consequences of suboptimal B-vitamin status and B-vitamin imbalance.Research Group MembersNatalie Gonzalez Herrera, Volunteer
Adrianna Greco, Clinical Trainee
Nick Hays, Study Sponsor & Monitor
Gloria Ho, Master's Student
Alyssa Kowbel, Research Assistant
Sadhri Kumar, Volunteer
Svilena Lazarova, Study Reviewer/Monitor
Sarah Montgomery, Researcher
Mikaela Stewart, Dietitian
Hannah Takasaki, Volunteer
Amy Tan, Doctoral Trainee
Niklas Tappauf
Avi Wadhawan, Research Volunteer
Deborah Zibrik, Study Coordinator
Lindsay Zibrik, Research Assistant
Congratulations CIHR Project Grant Recipients!
Congratulations to the BC Children's and BC Women's investigators who were awarded funding through the highly competitive Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Project Grant Spring 2020 competition.
