Group B Vitamins: From Homeostasis to Pathogenesis and Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis

Abstract

Abstract—It is well known that vitamins are essential micronutrients for the normal functioning of all body systems and must be supplied in sufficient quantities with food. The role of vitamins produced by the gut microbiota for host health is largely undefined. The review discusses the properties of eight water-soluble B vitamins, their complex effects on the functioning of the nervous system. Attention is paid to a little-studied issue - the synthesis of B vitamins by the intestinal microbiota and its role in vitamin deficiency in the body. It is proposed that interrelated factors – “Western diet”, altered composition (dysbiosis) of the intestinal microbiota and deficiency of B vitamins are involved in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis, a severe autoimmune demyelinating disease that affects people of working age. The available studies on the evaluation of the level of B vitamins in patients with multiple sclerosis and the use of high doses of these vitamins for the treatment of progressive forms of multiple sclerosis are presented. In addition, the idea of the possibility of using probiotic bacteria producing B vitamins in the treatment of multiple sclerosis is being put forward.