Click on the image below to read Matt Lovell’s opinion.

This case study involved 96 severely obese and 65 normal weight individuals.

Negative associations were found between vitamin B12 and folic acid in obese individuals, whilst the relationships between omega 3, omega 6 and homocysteine levels may elevate the problem of cardiovascular disease if unbalanced.

Homocysteine levels in particular positively correlated with omega 6 fatty acids whilst negatively correlating with omega 3’s in both control and obese groups. Vitamin B12 positively correlated with omega 3 fatty acid levels.

We can therefore make an assumption that being obese is going to negatively affect our essential fatty acid blood levels, whilst also causing an elevation in homocysteine. High levels of homocysteine have been linked to cardiovascular disease.

References:”Plasma omega-3 fatty acid levels negatively and omega-6 fatty acid levels positively associated with other cardiovascular risk factors including homocysteine in severe obese subjects,” Mehmetoglu I, Yerlikaya FH, et al, Asia Pac J ClinNutr, 2012; 21(4): 519-25. (Address: F. HümeyraYerlikaya, University of N. Erbakan, Meram Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, Konya, Turkey.