Vitamin b complex can protect the body from toxic pollution

For most people, READ ALSO: The Importance of Wearing a Mask When Flu is a mandatory item that should not be left out when leaving the house even if you don't have the flu or cough. The reason is none other than because of air pollution. Not surprisingly, the level of pollution in some areas is even so severe that it is classified as dangerous to the health of the population. Jakarta (especially the North and West regions), Batam and Medan are listed as the three big cities in Indonesia with the worst air pollution levels according to a recent study from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry.

Masks are an excellent method of self-protection from air pollution. But there is one more preventive measure that is no less important than masks, namely by taking vitamin B complex supplements. What is the chapter?

Why is air pollution harmful to health?

The health effects of air pollution have long been a cause of concern for many people around the world. Continued exposure to air pollution is known to increase your risk for acute respiratory diseases, mental disorders, stroke and Alzheimer's. However, not much is known about the actual mechanism of dirty air so that it can make people vulnerable to illness.

One thing scientists know for sure is that PM2.5 particles are the most dangerous type of pollution for health. PM (Particular Matter) itself is a type of air pollution consisting of many particles of different sizes - from super tiny almost invisible to pollen that can be seen with the naked eye. PM2.5 is a group of air pollution particles smaller than 2.5 millimeters. It is even 30 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair.

According to WHO, about 92 percent of the world's population live in areas where PM2.5 levels in the air exceed the recommended threshold - 10 micrograms per cubic meter (μg / m3) per year. Based on the latest data from the World Bank website, the level of PM2.5 in Indonesian air in 2015 reached 15.4 μg / m3.

PM2.5 is caused by emissions from motorized vehicle combustion and wood burning stoves, as well as by-products from chemicals that react with other gases. These particles are so small that they are almost invisible to the eye, making them very easy to inhale and stick to the deepest corners of the lungs. This then triggers DNA mutations at the molecular level, which manifest as inflammation and oxidative stress. Both have been linked to long-term lung and heart health problems. Who would have thought that the risk of this health problem could actually be overcome by consuming vitamin B complex?

Vitamin B complex supplements repair damage caused by air pollution

A team of researchers from the University of California reports that vitamin complex supplements may be useful as a protective shield against the risk of long-term damage from air pollution. Vitamin B complex supplements have long been known to help treat or prevent certain health problems, including depression, fatigue, heart disease, reducing stress and stimulating the immune system.

As explained above, chronic exposure to PM2.5 due to long-term air pollution can cause epigenetic changes in body cells that can damage health. These modifications do not change the DNA sequence, but rather, they affect how the cell reads the genes. The study shows that gene modification due to air pollution appears to change how the immune system works, thereby blocking our body's defenses.

For this study, researchers looked at 10 volunteers who were initially deliberately conditioned to clean air and given a placebo vitamin to check their bodies' initial reactions. Then participants were asked to take another placebo for four weeks before being exposed to dirty air from the most polluted Toronto area, where there are a thousand vehicles passing every hour. The dirty air was then inhaled directly by the volunteers through oxygen masks. The experiment was then repeated with the same pattern, but each person was given a daily vitamin B complex supplement for four weeks of the experiment.

As a result, the researchers found that taking high doses of vitamin B complex (2.5 mg folic acid / B9, 50 mg vitamin B6, and 1 mg vitamin B12) daily for four weeks reduced damage from PM2.5 to 28-76. percent. They also found a similar reduction in impact on mitochondrial DNA, the energy-producing part of the cell.

However the investigators affirm that while the observed effects are real, their study has many limitations. First, the number of participants is very small (only 10 people). Second, there is little information on the exact dosage of B vitamin supplements to elicit a response. Researchers did not measure the doses in different doses, but instead went straight to a very high standard dose - higher than the recommended pregnancy rate. Follow-up studies are still needed to be able to ensure accurate dosage of vitamin B complex supplements to prevent pollution damage and safety.

The intake of vitamin B complex from fresh food is better than supplements

It never hurts to start taking multivitamin supplements as one of the many ways to maintain health. The benefits of vitamin B when taken long-term in supplement form are reported to protect you from the bad effects of pollution.

But it has been proven over and over again that consuming only one particular nutrient in supplement form will not provide the same health benefits as consuming the nutrients from the diet as a whole. Therefore, your first focus is to always try to get your daily vitamin and mineral needs from food. Only then if you have adopted a healthy diet but still feel inadequate, it doesn't hurt to take a multivitamin as an extra.

On the other hand, experts agree that while we should do our best to protect ourselves from the dangers of pollution, central government interference with the environment remains the most important. It is the government's responsibility to protect the health of its people through maintaining air quality.

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