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Changes in predictors and status of homocysteine in young male adults after a dietary intervention with vegetables, fruits and bread

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Abstract

Background

Elevated plasma total homocysteine (p-tHcy) is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, and an inverse association has been shown between the dietary intake of B-vitamins, B-vitamin profile and the concentration of p-tHcy.

Aim of the study

The main objective of this investigation was to study the effect of a dietary intervention focusing on an increased intake of vegetables, fruits and bread. The effect of the dietary intervention was determined by the changes in plasma concentrations of tHcy, cysteine (cys), riboflavin, flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) and flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and serum concentrations of folate and vitamin B12.

Method

An intervention study with duration of 5 months, including 541 male recruits from the Norwegian National Guard, Vaernes and a control group, including 209 male recruits from the Norwegian Army, Heggelia.

Results

The dietary intervention resulted in decreased concentration of p-tHcy (−10%, P = 0.002), p-cys (−6%, P < 0.001) and FMN (−11%, P = 0.310) and increased concentration of riboflavin (+23%, P < 0.001) and FAD (+10%, P = 0.008) in the intervention group compared with the control group. The change in p-tHcy concentration was positively related to the change in the concentration of p-cys (P < 0.001) and FMN (P = 0.035) and inversely related to the change in concentration of folate (P = 0.021).

Conclusions

A dietary intervention program focusing on an increased intake of vegetables, fruits and bread showed a favourable effect on the concentration of p-tHcy and its metabolites. Our findings suggest that the changes in the concentration of p-cys, folate and FMN seem to be predictors of changes in the p-tHcy concentration.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the Norwegian Research Council. The authors want to thank the personnel at The Norwegian National Guard, Værnes and the Norwegian Army, Heggelia for support and positive attitude regarding data collections. We also want to thank Madelene Johansson for participating in the data collection of the control group and Betzy Kvarme and Elin Skarland Frøyland for their help with analyses of p-tHcy and riboflavin, FAD and FMN in plasma.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Norwegian School of Hotel Management, University of Stavanger, 4036, Stavanger, Norway

    Tonje Holte Stea & Wenche Frølich

  2. Dept. of Natural Sciences, Agder University, Kristiansand, Norway

    Mohammad Azam Mansoor

  3. Dept. of Nutrition, Institute for basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

    Margareta Wandel & Solveig Uglem

Authors
  1. Tonje Holte Stea
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  2. Mohammad Azam Mansoor
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  3. Margareta Wandel
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  4. Solveig Uglem
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  5. Wenche Frølich
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Correspondence to Tonje Holte Stea.

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Stea, T.H., Mansoor, M.A., Wandel, M. et al. Changes in predictors and status of homocysteine in young male adults after a dietary intervention with vegetables, fruits and bread. Eur J Nutr 47, 201–209 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-008-0714-y

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