Monday, October 25, 2010

Vitamin B12 May Help Ward off Alzheimer’s

Vitamin B12 May Help Ward off Alzheimer’s

People who consume lots of foods rich in vitamin B12—such as fish and fortified cereals—may be at lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease than people who take in less of the vitamin, a small study conducted in Finland suggests.

In the study, which was published in Neurology, researchers in Scandinavia analyzed blood samples from 271 individuals ages 65 to 79 who showed no evidence of dementia. The researchers tested for levels of a blood marker of vitamin B12 and for levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that has been linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease (as well as heart disease and stroke).

B vitamins, including B12 and folate, have been shown to help lower homocysteine levels, so high levels of the amino acid suggest low levels of B12.