Vitamin B against Alzheimer's

The research, published in the journalPLoS Oneand conducted by scientists from the Oxford Project for Research on Memory and Aging (OPTIMA), is based on the examination of 168 older people who experienced a certain level of mental impairment known asmild cognitive impairment. This condition, marked by memory lapses and language problems, goes beyond normal aging and can be aprecursor to Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.

In the experiments, half of the volunteers received a daily tablet containing levels well above the recommended daily amount of theB family of vitamins, such as folic acid, B6 and B12. The other half received a placebo.

After two years, MRI scans showed that the rate at which their brains were shrinking had slowed. While the brain shrinks on average at a rate of 0.5% a year after the age of 60,the brains of people with mild cognitive impairment shrink twice as fast, and in patients suffering from Alzheimer’s the contraction increases up to 2.5% annually. The team of scientists found that in those who received vitamin supplements, brain shrinkage decreased between 30% and 50% compared to their peers.

But why? Some vitamins in the B family, such as folic acid, vitamin B6, and B12, control levels of a substance in the blood known ashomocysteine. High homocysteine levels are associated with faster brain shrinkage and Alzheimer’s disease. The study authors believe that the effect of the B vitamins on homocysteine levels was the effect that helped slow the rate of brain contraction. “These vitamins are doing something to the structure of the brain. They are protecting it, and that is very important because we have to protect the brain to prevent Alzheimer’s disease,” explained David Smith, director of the research. However, Smtih and his colleagues colleagues caution that “more research is required before the supplement can be recommended for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.”