B vitamins prevent dementia
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Good news for people with mild cognitive impairment. Taking daily supplements of B vitamins may delay the onset of dementia like Alzheimer's disease, a study led by researchers at Oxford University suggests.
Researcher David Smith and colleagues gave 168 volunteers with mild cognitive impairment a vitamin pill called "TrioBe PPLus" containing 300 times the recommended daily dose of B12, four times daily recommended amount of folate and 15 times the recommended dose of B6 for two years.
Participants' brains were scanned at the beginning and the end end of the trial to monitor the brain shrinkage or atrophy.
The study published in the Public Library of Science (PLoS) One journal showed that on average the brain shrinkage in those who took the B vitamins was 0.76 percent a year compared to 1.08 percent for those who took the placebo.
Researchers did not test participants' cognitive ability or symptoms of dementia, but there was an association between brain shrinkage and reduced scores in mental tests.
Brain shrinkage is a natural phenominum found in elderly people. Drinking alcohol can hasten the process, but it is unknown if B vitamins may offset the negative effect of drinking alcohol.
Mary N. Haan of the University of California-San Fransisco recently found that lower levels of folate were associated with symptoms of dementia and poor brain function or cognitive decline.
Low doses of B vitamins may not help.
One study, led by van Uffelen J.G. and colleagues from TNO-VU University Medical Center in The Netherlands, found a vitamin supplement containing 5 mg folic acid, 0.4 mg vitamin B12 and 50 mg vitamin B6 did not help people with mild cognitive impairment.
In the study, 77 patients with mild cognitive impairment took the vitamin supplement and 75 patients engaged in a low-intensity walking program for 12 months. All patients were evaluated at the begining and the end of the study.
Researchers reported in the May 2008 issue of British Journal of Sports Medicine that neither walking nor the vitamin supplement could curb the progression of cognitive decline, however the walking program was effective in improving memory in men, and memory and attention in women.
Dementia is a term for a group of symptoms caused by brain disorders. People with dementia may not be able to think well enough to conduct normal activities likely getting dressed and eating. People with mild cognitive impairment may or may not develop dementia.
Memory loss is a common symptom of dementia, but a person with memory loss alone may not neccessarily suffer dementia, which can include Alzheimer's disease and stroke.
It should be noted that the current study used mega-dosages of B vitamins, meaning that they should be considered drugs but not dietary supplements. High doses of B vitamins can be risky.
Vitamin B12 is essential for vegans as this nutrient cannot be found in plant-based foods. Lack of vitamin B12 can lead to cognitive problems like mild cognitive impairment .
By David Liu, editing by Laura Lamp King
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"Low doses of B vitamins may not help.
One study, led by van Uffelen J.G. and colleagues from TNO-VU University Medical Center in The Netherlands, found a vitamin supplement containing 5 mg folic acid, 0.4 mg vitamin B12 and 50 mg vitamin B6 did not help people with mild cognitive impairment."
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