Have your sayWhat was your experience? Do mozzies love or loathe you? Tell us on the messageboard below. There's no doubt mosquitoes prefer some people over others, but can vitamin B turn someone who is usually a target for mosquitoes into a turn-off.Although this home remedy is often espoused in the popular press there's no solid scientific evidence to back it up. Medical entomologist Dr Cameron Webb says taking vitamin B before your next BBQ will do little to keep mosquitoes at bay.He says while some people are more attractive to mosquitoes others simply have a stronger reaction to mosquito bites. It's a reaction to the mosquito's saliva – injected during the bite – that gives you an itchy lump the next day, like all allergic reactions, the severity varies from person to person.There are a number of other variables that can affect our reaction to bites including how repellent each mosquito finds us, the species of mosquito that is biting us and where we are bitten (as in geographical location Sydney vs Cairns).
Given that mosquitoes can be carry some very nasty diseases – in addition to being extremely annoying – it's a good idea to take precautions if you suspect they're around:Finally, if you're travelling overseas make sure you speak to your GP about whether you need any vaccinations or medications for mosquito-borne diseases.Dr Cameron Webb is a hospital scientist with Department of Medical Entomology at Westmead Hospital's Institute of Clinical Pathology and Medical Research. He was interviewed by Claudine Ryan. Dr Cameron Webb is a hospital scientist with Department of Medical Entomology at Westmead Hospital's Institute of Clinical Pathology and Medical Research. email ABC Health & WellbeingCan vitamin B12 prevent mosquito-transmitted diseases? From Peter Bartok, Houston, Texas "Malaria is a major problem in the world. As a geologist I have done significant field work in malaria infested regions. Before doing work in Bolivia (several years ago) a doctor told me to take 1000 units of B12 three times a day.
B12 exudes a mosquito repellent smell. During the six weeks I was there I was not bitten by mosquitoes. Can B12 prevent mosquito transmitted diseases? Thanks for being available." Since mosquitoes are perhaps the most insidious disease-spreaders around, your question is important. Mosquitoes transmit parasites that cause malaria, a disease that kills between 1 million and 3 million people a year worldwide. Before I answer your question, Peter, I would like to clarify one point. You asked whether vitamin B12 can prevent mosquito-transmitted diseases. What I think you are asking is whether B12 can repel mosquitoes and thus prevent transmission of the disease. This is an important distinction because, as you are probably aware, many mosquito-transmitted diseases like malaria and West Nile Virus are not necessarily preventable. The best we can hope for is stemming the number of people stung by these infected mosquitoes. Now, to answer your question, the notion that ingesting certain products like B vitamins (or garlic, for that matter) might repel mosquitoes is common, but unfounded.
Based on scientific studies I was able to dig up, B vitamins are not effective mosquito repellants, and vitamin B12, specifically, is not well-studied. What scientists know more about is another B vitamin - B1 - also known as thiamine. As part of a larger survey of effective mosquito repellants, a 2002 study in the New England Journal of Medicine reported that, "No ingested compound, including garlic and thiamine (vitamin B1), has been found to be capable of repelling biting arthropods." The same study concluded that DEET-containing products offer the best protection. In addition to DEET, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends another product, Picaridin, and products containing oil of lemon eucalyptus. The CDC also recommends wearing long sleeves and pants while outdoors, and applying a repellent on your clothing. Get a behind-the-scenes look at the latest stories from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen and the CNN Medical Unit producers.
They'll share news and views on health and medical trends - info that will help you take better care of yourself and the people you love.Mosquitoes can put a real damper on enjoying the outdoors. When we were on our honeymoon, many years ago, we were camping in Grand Teton National Park. Even before we opened the car doors to set up our tent and camp stove, there were enormous mosquitoes hovering in large numbers to get a bite of our blood. There seem to be significant differences among individuals with respect to how attractive mosquitoes find them. Some people start slapping biting mosquitoes the second they step outside, while others are rarely troubled at all. suggests several factors that may help explain this curious phenomenon. It turns out that blood type matters, and so does body temperature and the amount of carbon dioxide a person exhales. The microbial ecology of the skin may also have an effect on mosquitoes and their likelihood of taking a taste. Be wary at the backyard cookout: people drinking beer appear to be especially appealing to mosquitoes.
Q. I am a gardener and have always been a mosquito magnet. I read about vitamin B1 and have been taking it for several days. I just went outside this evening and didn’t get one bite! Usually they are all over me. I will continue to take B1 until cold weather. A. There is almost no scientific research to support vitamin B1 (thiamine) against mosquitoes. That said, some readers report similar success. It may well be that thiamine works in conjunction with some of the other individual factors to make certain individuals less appealing. We heard before from an individual who had good luck like you do: Q. I have found vitamin B1 to be an effective deterrent for mosquito bites. I was recently in an area where I got multiple mosquito bites daily that itched unbearably. I developed open sores from scratching in my sleep, even when I used Benadryl or hydrocortisone cream. In less than a week of taking vitamin B1 (500 mg per day), I have not had any more bites. I know there are studies that say vitamin B1 has no value for deterring insect bites, but my experience convinces me otherwise.
A. Thank you for sharing your testimonial. Some other readers have also found taking vitamin B1 (thiamine) helpful against mosquitoes. The research we have found, however, indicates that this vitamin is not effective as a systemic mosquito repellent (Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association, June, 2005). We could find no more recent research on the effects of thiamine against mosquito bites. Another reader used B vitamins as a repellent in quite a different way: Q. I was hiking high in the Canadian Rockies and the black flies were voracious. I didn’t have insect repellent with me because mosquitoes, fleas and other critters never bite me. I think that’s because I take B-complex and garlic, among other supplements, and they don’t like that. Increasingly vexed by the black flies, I finally appropriated a B-complex 100 mg tablet I had with me. I smushed it up with some creek water, and then rubbed the bright yellow liquid all over myself. I admit, though, that I did look a bit jaundiced.
What do you think about the efficacy of B-complex or other supplements in repelling bugs? A. We love your story, but we’ve never heard of anyone else using vitamin B pills topically. With no studies, we wouldn’t dare venture a guess about effectiveness. There was some preliminary research on thiamine, a B vitamin, taken orally to repel mosquitoes. Since it was conducted many decades ago, however, it would not meet today’s scientific standards and newer research has not confirmed the benefit. Nevertheless, some readers swear that this nutrient keeps mosquitoes from biting them. Individual body chemistry seems to have an important effect on whether and how well this remedy works. Most people need to apply a proven mosquito repellent such as DEET, picaridin or lemon eucalyptus oil. That is particularly true in places where mosquitoes may be transmitting malaria, Zika virus or West Nile virus. Although DEET sets the standard for repellents and has for decades, there are concerns about toxicity, especially if it is being used for extended periods or at high concentrations.