Vitamin B May Protect Against Air Pollution-Related Illness

Air pollution has become a growing problem for millions of men, women and children throughout the world. Even if the air in your city "looks" clean, it could be harboring particulate matter that, once inhaled, contributes to respiratory disease and other related illness.

While the primary objective in battling air pollution is to reduce the buildup of airborne particulate matter, there's new evidence suggesting that vitamin B may help to mitigate the health effects of air pollution. According to a recent study, individuals who take a daily vitamin B supplement are less affected by air pollution than their counterparts who do not take a vitamin B supplement.

For the study, researchers recruited 10 men and women who were previously exposed to clean air, giving them a placebo for control purposes. Participants then took another placebo for the next four weeks after being exposed to polluted air in Toronto, Canada. Researchers then repeated the process, but instead they gave each participant a vitamin B supplement. Researchers discovered that after four weeks, participants experienced reduced damage of PM2.5 by approximately 28-76%.

Particulate matter is classified as any airborne pollutant, ranging from just 2.5 micrometers to larger particles that we can actually see. When speaking about particulate matter, the study's researcher explained that our lungs are unable to filter these particulates; thus, they enter our lungs while subsequently triggering inflammation, stress, hormonal changes, etc. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) states that roughly 92% of the world's population lives in regions where the particulate matter level exceeds the recommended limit of 2.5. Chronic exposure to this polluted air affects our health in many ways, increasing rates of heart disease, asthma and more.

"Future studies, especially in heavily polluted areas, are urgently needed to validate our findings and ultimately develop preventive interventions using B vitamins to contain the health effects of air pollution," said the study's lead author and researcher. "While emission control and regulation is the backbone of prevention, high exposures are, unfortunately, the rule still in many megacities throughout the world."

This study was published in the journal PNAS.