Another Study Suggests Taking Vitamin B2 and B7

[jimcaster]

A new study compared the gut microbiota of people with Parkinson’s disease in five countries. Researchers found that although people from each country had different gut bacteria, all those with Parkinson’s had fewer bacteria that make vitamins B2 (riboflavin) and B7 (biotin).

medicalnewstoday.com/articl...

[Esperanto]

This is probably the research that was already discussed at HU a month ago? Indeed very interesting:

healthunlocked.com/cure-par...

healthunlocked.com/cure-par...

healthunlocked.com/cure-par...

[Zella23]

An interesting read, thanks for posting. There was also some interesting discussions in the articles following on from that about the gut brain axis.

[jeffreyn]

"This study highlights the relationship between the gut microbiome, metabolism, and the nervous system, but the findings are not sufficient to suggest changes in clinical practice, such as B2 and B7 supplements ..."

[jimcaster in reply to jeffreyn]

I should have read it more thoroughly. I don't know the degree of medical certainty which would be sufficient to suggest changes in clinical practice. For me, the potential benefit of supplementing with B vitamins seems to outweigh the risk and I don't have time to wait for more certain research.

[jimcaster in reply to jeffreyn]

I read the article more carefully and am struck by the poor editing. The article ends with the quote you supplied, but begins with this in bold print, "The researchers suggest that this could contribute to neuroinflammation and that supplementation with these vitamins may be beneficial for some people with the condition."

I suppose those two quotes could be read consistently if they are saying there is a subset of Parkinson's patients who might benefit but that subset is unknown. I feel like I don't have time to wait.

[jeffreyn]

"I feel like I don't have time to wait."

It seems to me that the NU "press release" already shows a way forward:

“We could perform gut microbiota analysis on patients or conduct fecal metabolite analysis,” Nishiwaki said. “Using these findings, we could identify individuals with specific deficiencies and administer oral riboflavin and biotin supplements to those with decreased levels, potentially creating an effective treatment.”

nagoya-u.ac.jp/researchinfo...

[gomelgo]

Are there any known harms to taking more b2 and b7?

[jimcaster in reply to gomelgo]

For what it's worth, this is what I learned from a Google search: Excess b2 and b7 in the body is rare, and since both are water-soluble, they are excreted in the urine when in excess.

[gomelgo in reply to jimcaster]

So taking more of them as an experiment would not harm then

[jeffreyn in reply to gomelgo]

From Jim's link:

[Dr Michael] Okun told MNT that vitamin supplementation can be useful during treatment for Parkinson’s disease, but that supplements should be taken only on medical advice:

“The most common treatment for Parkinson’s disease is levodopa and we know that levodopa leads to increases in circulating homocysteine levels. This is why many experts recommend taking a single multivitamin a day because if you are on levodopa you likely need to replace vitamins B12, B6 and folic acid.”

“Replacing vitamins can also lead to unintended adverse effects so this should be done under the guidance of a healthcare professional. There is no specific current recommendations for replacement vitamins B2 and B7 in Parkinson’s disease,” he added.

[jimcaster in reply to jeffreyn]

My frustration is that there seems to be several studies suggesting that supplementation with some sort of B vitamin may be beneficial, but doctors won't consider them as meeting the appropriate "standard of care" without conclusive proof of their efficacy and that never gets established because vitamins aren't patentable, among other things. I understand that reputable doctors won't recommend unproven treatments or making sweeping recommendations that all PD patients take something without even seeing them. For me, it's a cost/potential benefit analysis on a case by case basis because I don't have time on my side. I take several large doses of various B vitamins knowing that they might not be helpful, but also believing they might be and that the downside appears fairly small. We each have to decide for ourselves.