16 Proven Benefits of Vitamin B9

Vitamin B9, is a member of the B-complex vitamin group. Like all B-vitamins, vitamin B9 plays vital roles in cellular metabolism and energy production.

More specifically, vitamin B9 aids in DNA and RNA synthesis, which is especially important during periods of rapid growth (e.g., pregnancy and puberty). vitamin B9 also helps control homocysteine levels, which, if too high, can lead to a number of chronic conditions including cancer, heart disease, depression, and diabetes.

What is Vitamin B9/vitamin B9?

Vitamin B9 is a water-soluble essential B vitamin.

vitamin B9s occur in many chemical forms. They are naturally found in food and the body in the form of metabolically active tetrahydrovitamin B9 derivatives (e.g., 5-methyltetrahydrovitamin B9).

In contrast, folic acid, the synthetic form of Vitamin B9, has no physiological activity unless converted into vitamin B9s. This primarily occurs in the liver, where folic acid is converted to tetrahydrovitamin B9 (THF) using the enzyme dihydro vitamin B9 reductase.

Health Benefits of vitamin B9:

1) vitamin B9 Supports Healthy Fetal Development and Pregnancy

vitamin B9 plays a critical role in cell growth during the embryonic phase of fetal development .

Low vitamin B9 levels in pregnant women are linked to fetal abnormalities, such as neural tube defects (i.e., spina bifida and anencephaly) (.

Many clinical studies show that when women take folic acid before conception, the risk of neural tube defects (NTDs) is significantly reduced (up to 50-60%).

Other studies have found that when taken with a multivitamin supplement, folic acid can minimize the risk of congenital heart defects, cleft lips, and other abnormalities during the preconception period.

Folic acid supplementation can also lengthen mean gestational age (period of pregnancy), increase birth weight, and lower the rate of preterm labor in pregnant women.

2) vitamin B9 May Reduce the Risk of Cancer

As an essential cofactor for the formation of nucleic acids, vitamin B9 plays an integral role in DNA synthesis, repair, and stability.

vitamin B9 coenzymes also regulate DNA methylation, which is essential in controlling gene expression and cell differentiation. Abnormalities in this process have been linked to the development of mutations and cancer.

Low blood levels of vitamin B9 are associated with certain types of cancer.

A vitamin B9-rich diet has been shown to reduce the risk of a wide variety of cancers (i.e., breast, pancreatic, colon, lung, and esophageal cancers) in a number of observational studies .

However, an excess of folic acid intake (above the normal dietary range) may actually accelerate tumor growth in cancer patients, indicating that the role of vitamin B9 in preventing cancer development depends on the specific dosage.

Vitamin B9’s effects in suppressing the initiation of the formation of cancer also appear to be dependent on the status of cell transformation at the time of initial vitamin B9 exposure. In animal colorectal cancer models, folic acid supplementation was found to prevent cancer development in normal tissues but promote tumor growth in pre-existing regions of abnormal tissue growth.

Thus, considerations of both the dose and timing of vitamin B9 supplementation are critical in preventing cancerous tissue growth.

3) vitamin B9 May Prevent Heart Disease

Elevated homocysteine concentrations in the blood are linked to an increased risk of hardening of arteries and heart disease.

High-dose folic acid supplementation was found to be effective in reducing homocysteine levels and improving vascular function in patients with coronary artery disease.

In another study, men who consumed higher dietary intakes of vitamin B9 had lower incidences of strokes and heart attacks.

4) vitamin B9 Acts as an Antioxidant

Folic acid exhibits efficient free radical scavenging activity (comparable to that of vitamin C and E) in a number of laboratory studies.

In rats exposed to arsenic, folic acid supplementation was able to mitigate DNA and mitochondrial damage by suppressing oxidative biomarkers (i.e.,  malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), and hydroxyl radical (OH(-)) and increasing antioxidant enzyme (e.g., SOD and catalase) activity.

5) vitamin B9 Enhances Brain Function

vitamin B9 is critical for normal brain development and function.

Low blood vitamin B9 levels are correlated with symptoms of cognitive decline in the elderly, epileptic, and psychiatric populations.

They are also associated with degeneration of the cerebral cortex, the region of the brain that coordinates learning and memory.

This is likely due to increased homocysteine levels (vitamin B9 is a cofactor in the reaction that helps convert homocysteine to methionine), which are toxic to neurons and linked to neurodegenerative conditions including Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, and epileptic seizures.

In animal models of bacterial meningitis (swelling of the lining covering the brain and spinal cord), increasing vitamin B9 levels were found to preserve memory function and prevent oxidative damage to the frontal cortex.

Short-term folic supplementation also significantly improved IQ scores, short-term memory, and motor skills in older adults with mild cognitive impairment.

6) vitamin B9 Aids in Red Blood Cell Production

vitamin B9 is required for red blood cell replication and division, and its deficiency can lead to megaloblastic anemia (a condition characterized by fewer and larger blood cells).

This condition is reversible with folic acid treatment.

7) vitamin B9 is a Natural Antidepressant

Depressed patients have lower vitamin B9 levels.

vitamin B9 is involved in the synthesis of serotonin and dopamine. An imbalance in these neurotransmitters can lead to the development of depression and anxiety disorders.

Folic acid has a stimulatory effect on serotonergic receptors in the brain and improves selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) responsivity in depressive patients.

Increasing vitamin B9 levels in people with eating disorders led to significant improvements in depressive symptoms.

8) vitamin B9 May Prevent Hearing and Vision Loss

One study in the elderly found that higher intakes of vitamin B9 may reduce the risk of age-related hearing loss.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the major leading causes of blindness in older Americans. A study found that a combined intake of folic acid/vitamin B6/vitamin B12 over 7 years decreased the risk of AMD by 35% to 40%  in women at high risk for developing heart disease.

9) vitamin B9 is Anti-Aging

Low-dose folic acid was found to increase the lifespan of roundworms (Caenorhabditis elegans) by boosting oxidative stress resistance factors, indicating that it may be useful for delaying the aging process in humans.

10) vitamin B9 Promotes Fertility

vitamin B9’s role in DNA synthesis is vital for embryonic development and survival.

In guinea pigs, a short-term deficiency of vitamin B9 was found to dramatically decrease reproductive performance.

Polymorphisms in vitamin B9 pathway genes (i.e., MTHFR) are thought to contribute to fertility complications in women.

Follicular fluid vitamin B9 concentrations are associated with higher fertilization rates, oocyte qualities, mature oocyte yields, and live births in women undergoing infertility treatment.

Men with male factor subfertility experienced a 74% increase in sperm count after combined folic acid and zinc treatment.

Higher vitamin B9 intakes are associated with lower frequencies of abnormal sperm (which may interfere with conception) in men.

11) vitamin B9 Treats Arsenic Poisoning

Chronic arsenic exposure can increase the risk of cancer, heart disease, and stroke.

A study in arsenic-exposed adults found that folic acid supplementation was able to lower blood arsenic levels by facilitating urinary arsenic excretion.

12) vitamin B9 May Ameliorate Autism Spectrum Disorders

Since vitamin B9 is required for fetal brain development, deficiencies are associated with a significantly increased risk of neurodevelopmental defects including autism and schizophrenia.

Many child development studies reveal an inverse correlation between prenatal folic acid supplements and risk of autism, language delay, and social problems in children Administration of folinic acid (another form of vitamin B9) in autistic children with low brain vitamin B9 levels resulted in an improvement in symptoms and decrease in oxidative biomarkers (which are involved in the progression of autism).

13) vitamin B9 Promotes a Healthy Immune System

An increased susceptibility to infection is frequently observed in vitamin B9-deficient humans and animals.

Clinical vitamin B9 deficiency commonly manifests as megaloblastic anemia, a condition that results in impaired immune responses (affecting mainly cell-mediated immunity). Rectifying vitamin B9 deficiencies with supplementation restores immune function in affected patients.

A vitamin B9-rich diet was able to reverse age-related changes in T-cell proliferation and cytokine production in rats, suggesting that folic acid supplementation may be used in the elderly for boosting resistance to infection.

14) vitamin B9 Attenuates Liver Damage

Evidence from animal and human studies support a causal relationship between low blood vitamin B9 levels and oxidative stress, liver damage and cancer.

Excessive alcohol consumption is a known risk factor for liver disease and cancer. Folic acid intake is associated with counteracting the harmful effects of alcohol on the liver, likely by helping maintain methionine and glutathione levels (both are important for liver detoxification).

15) vitamin B9 Ameliorates Kidney Disease

A study in patients with chronic kidney disease found that a combination of enalapril (blood pressure medication) and folic acid was more effective in slowing kidney function decline than enalapril alone. The study recommended the use of folic acid for delaying chronic kidney disease progression in vitamin B9-deficient subjects.

Folic acid supplementation also increased survival rates in patients with end-stage kidney disease by alleviating cardiovascular deficits and other kidney disease complications.

16) vitamin B9 May Promote Bone Strength

vitamin B9 deficiency is linked to decreased bone mineral density and an increased risk of bone fracture.

In human osteoclast (bone breakdown cells) cultures, vitamin B9 depletion resulted in activation of bone resorption (bone loss) activity.

Nitric oxide synthase is an enzyme that helps preserve bone density by stimulating bone formation and preventing bone loss. vitamin B9 can act as a cofactor for this enzyme (in absence of its actual cofactor, tetrahydrobiopterin) and promote nitric oxide activity in bone cells, thereby maintaining bone density.