Osaka Study Links B12 and Folate Deficits to Fatigue in 600 Healthy Adults
Updated
Updated · ScienceDaily · Jun 3
Osaka Study Links B12 and Folate Deficits to Fatigue in 600 Healthy Adults
2 articles · Updated · ScienceDaily · Jun 3
Summary
Around 600 healthy Japanese adults showed a link between low vitamin B12 and folate status and chronic fatigue or reduced motivation, Osaka Metropolitan University researchers reported.
Higher blood homocysteine—a marker that rises when those B vitamins are low—tracked with lower B12 and folate levels even after accounting for age, sleep, workload and eating habits.
Sex-specific analysis found men with elevated homocysteine were more likely to report greater physical fatigue, while women with higher levels reported lower motivation.
The team said the findings, published in Nutrients, suggest fatigue assessment may need to consider nutrition alongside stress and sleep, with balanced diets helping prevent B12 and folate deficiency.