Vitamin B12 may protect the brain in old age

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Public release date: 8-Sep-2008

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-09/aaon-vbm090208.php

Contact: Seroka

rseroka@...

American Academy of Neurology

Vitamin B12 may protect the brain in old age

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Vitamin B12, a nutrient found in meat, fish and milk,

may protect against brain volume loss in older people, according to a

study published in the September 9, 2008, issue of Neurology®, the

medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

For the study, 107 people between the ages of 61 and 87 underwent brain

scans, memory testing and physical exams. Researchers also collected

blood samples to check vitamin B12 levels. Brain scans and memory tests

were also performed again five years later.

The study found that people who had higher vitamin B12 levels were six

times less likely to experience brain shrinkage compared with those who

had lower levels of the vitamin in their blood. None of the people in

the study had vitamin B12 deficiency.

" Many factors that affect brain health are thought to be out of our

control, but this study suggests that simply adjusting our diets to

consume more vitamin B12 through eating meat, fish, fortified cereals or

milk may be something we can easily adjust to prevent brain shrinkage

and so perhaps save our memory, " said study author Vogiatzoglou,

MSc, with the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. " Research

shows that vitamin B12 deficiency is a public health problem, especially

among the elderly, so more vitamin B12 intake could help reverse this

problem. Without carrying out a clinical trial, we acknowledge that it

is still not known whether B12 supplementation would actually make a

difference in elderly persons at risk for brain shrinkage. "

" Previous research on the vitamin has had mixed results and few studies

have been done specifically with brain scans in elderly populations. We

tested for vitamin B12 levels in a unique, more accurate way by looking

at two certain markers for it in the blood, " said Vogiatzoglou.

Vogiatzoglou says the study did not look at whether taking vitamin B12

supplements would have the same effect on memory.

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The study was supported by the UK Alzheimer's Research Trust, the

Medical Research Council, the Wolfson Charitable Trust, the

Norwegian Foundation for Health and Rehabilitation through the Norwegian

Health Association, Axis-Shield plc and the Johan Throne Holst

Foundation for Nutrition Research. The research was part of the program

of the Oxford Project to Investigate Memory and Aging at the University

of Oxford.

--

ne Holden, MS, RD

" Ask the Parkinson Dietitian " http://www.parkinson.org/

" Eat well, stay well with Parkinson's disease "

" Parkinson's disease: Guidelines for Medical Nutrition Therapy "

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