How Vitamin B12 Helps Your Gut Cells Stay Healthy

Certain foods and dietary patterns may affect how genes are regulated without changing the DNA sequence, which in turn can influence metabolism and bodily functions.

When human intestinal cells in a lab dish are exposed to vitamin B12 at a concentration of 500 nM, levels of certain metabolites—including S-adenosylmethionine, carnitine, succinate, and 5-aminolevulinic acid—increase, suggesting higher activity in pathways related to methyl group transfer, fatty acid transport into mitochondria, and heme production.

In laboratory-grown human intestinal cells, adding vitamin B12 at a concentration of 500 nanomolars is linked to higher activity of genes that support mitochondrial energy production from fatty acids.

In laboratory-grown human intestinal cells, adding vitamin B12 at a specific concentration is linked to changes in gene activity that promote fat metabolism and cell growth while reducing inflammation-related gene activity.

In laboratory-grown human intestinal cells, adding vitamin B12 at a specific concentration is linked to changes in DNA methylation patterns in genes that control cell growth and intestinal barrier integrity, indicating a possible influence on epigenetic mechanisms.