NEW research suggests that vitamin B12 may protect the brain from memory loss and dementia in old age.
Scientists from the University of Oxford found that people with lower levels of the vitamin were six times more likely to suffer from brain shrinkage – a condition strongly linked with a higher risk of developing dementia – than those with higher levels in their blood. There are 700,000 people living with dementia in the UK today, a figure predicted to double within a generation. One new case of the condition is currently diagnosed every 3.2 minutes.
‘Many factors that affect brain health are thought to be out of our control,’ says Anna Vogiatzoglou of the Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics at Oxford University. ‘But this study suggests that simply adjusting our diets to consume more vitamin B12 may be something we can easily adjust to prevent brain shrinkage and so perhaps save our memory. Research shows that vitamin B12 deficiency is a public heath problem, especially among the elderly, so more vitamin B12 intake could help reverse this problem.’
Vitamin B12 is found in meat, fish, fortified cereals and milk. Liver and shellfish are particularly rich sources.
During the study, which was supported by bodies including the Alzheimer’s Research Trust and the Medical Research Council, the scientists examined 107 apparently healthy people between the ages of 61 and 87.
Those taking part were given brain scans, memory tests and physical examinations. The tests were then repeated five years later. Researchers also collected blood samples to measure vitamin B12 levels. Although none of those tested had a vitamin B12 deficiency there was still a marked difference in brain volume between those who had high levels of the vitamin and those who had lower levels.
Some studies suggest that two out of five people are deficient in vitamin B12. The problem is thought to be even more common among the elderly. The Oxford University study results were published this month (September 2008) in the respected journal Neurology.
A clinical trial is now planned to measure whether taking B vitamins, including B12, can slow brain shrinkage. Results from this study, part-funded by the Alzheimer’s Research Trust, are expected next year.
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