How vitamins can protect you from the damaging effects of air pollution
People constantly exposed to high levels of fine particle air pollution might benefit from taking supplements
Taking the right vitamins before travelling to a city with serious air pollution could protect your DNA from heritable damage caused by breathing in fine particles, a new study suggests.
An international research team led by Dr Jia Zhong, from the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University in New York, found that a combination of three B vitamins – folic acid, B6 and B12 – could strengthen the self-defence mechanism of genome molecules, which are prone to mutate when exposed to high levels of PM2.5 (respirable suspended particles with a diameter of 2.5 microns or less), and help healthy adults offset the inflammatory and other symptoms of short-term exposure, especially if they came from an area low in pollution.
“Ultimately, we aim to develop potential individualised intervention strategies that can be applied to mega cities such as Hong Kong and Beijing,” said Zhong, who earned a master of science degree in biochemistry and molecular biology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences before completing her doctorate at Harvard University’s school of public health last year.
With the research at an early stage, the scientists were unable to recommend dosages before travel but they did recommend eating more B vitamin-rich foods than usual.
“Biologically, B vitamins in the diet are expected to have the same effect on the epigenome as pill-based supplements ... I would suggest maintaining a healthy, balanced diet with sufficient sources of B vitamins,” Zhong said.