Vitamin B Could Reduce Brain Shrinkage And Offset The Risk Of Dementia

Scientists have conducted a study that suggests large doses of vitamin B could reduce the rate of brain shrinkage by half in elderly people with memory problems.

Vitamin B improves cognitive health and improves your quality life?

A 2-year clinical trial took place in the UK. Carried out by researchers from the University of Oxford, the Oxford Radcliffe Hospital NHS Trust, and the University of Oslo in Norway which shows promising signs that vitamin B could delay or even prevent dementia.Going the extra mile for our clients

The study received funding from several sources, including the Charles Wolfson Charitable Trust, the Medical Research Council, National Institute for Health Research, and Alzheimer’s Research.

A diagnosis of Alzheimer’s is based on specific, characteristic clinical features and the exclusion of other causes of cognitive impairment. The study conducted, however, only asses an outcome of brain shrinkage. This is not necessarily the same thing as preventing dementia. The functional effects of reducing brain shrinkage were not investigated however the study shows promising signs that B vitamins improve cognitive health as well as have the possibility of protecting an elderly person against Alzheimer’s disease.

The link between vitamin B12 and cognition

The signs of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia can be comparable to the symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency. It is important to know the difference between the two and being able to detect both in your aging loved one is vital to the health of your loved ones. Unfortunately, Alzheimer’s has effects that cannot be reversed. Vitamin B12 deficiency, however, can be easily treated.

Has your ageing parent shown these common sights of Alzheimer’s recently?

• Memory loss
• Behaviour changes
• Increased agitation

While you could be experiencing these symptoms due to other forms of Dementia or Alzheimer’s, there is also a possibility that your symptoms could be related to low levels of vitamin B12.

Several studies (including the study mentioned above) have been conducted to establish the link between vitamin B12 and Alzheimer’s symptoms. Some associate low B12 levels with both the symptoms of Alzheimer’s and actual shrinkage of the brain.

Symptoms of Vitamin B12 deficiency

In addition to the above symptoms (memory loss, increased agitation, and behaviour changes) which are symptoms of Alzheimer’s, people with low B12 may also experience the following:

• Poor balance
• Fatigue
• Weight loss
• Constipation
• Tingling or numbness in feet or hands
• Depression
• Sore mouth or tongue

What causes low vitamin B12 levels?

Specialists have found that B12 vitamin deficiency is related to other disease conditions. This includes crohn’s disease, coeliac disease, pernicious anaemia, and tapeworms. Other causes can include having a poor vegetarian diet where you are not consuming enough nutrients and alcoholism.

Another risk factor is age. As we age the risk factor of vitamin B12 absorption declining increases.

Diagnosis of vitamin B12 deficiency

The most common way to detect a deficiency is taking a blood test to determine the level of vitamin B12 in your system.

Very Well Health reports that normal results are between 200 – 900 pg/mL (pictographs per millilitre). A healthy threshold for elderly adults is between 300 and 350 pg/mL.

When being diagnosed for Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia, a specialist will advise you to undertake mental status tests and imaging tests. Alongside these tests, you can request a blood test to evaluate your vitamin B12 levels.

The study conducted by the University of Oxford, the Oxford Radcliffe Hospital NHS Trust, and the University of Oslo in Norway suggests that an estimate of 1.5% to 15% of the population is deficient in B12 levels. This is especially true of older adults, whose bodies absorb B12 less efficiently than others.

How to treat low levels of vitamin B12

Treatment for B12 has been known to be quite simple. If your B12 levels are low, you generally tend to be prescribed a higher dose of vitamin B. You can be administered the extra doses through injections or a pill you can take orally. Your GP will then test your blood levels regularly and the vitamin dose is adjusted to the appropriate level.

How to prevent low levels of vitamin B12

Having a vitamin-rich diet can help you avoid any uncomfortable effects of vitamin B12 deficiency. By having liver, beef, several kinds of fish, clams, and fortified cereals in your diet can help maintain your B12 levels.

It is also possible to take extra doses of vitamin B12. You can take extra doses through supplemental vitamins as a precaution to preventing conditions that will negatively affect your health.

You should check with your GP to make sure that you are intaking the right amount of vitamin B12. Your GP is best placed to recommend where to source extra B12 and when not to take it. This is because B12 has not been scientifically proven to treat forms of dementia.

Does Supplementation prevent Alzheimer’s

At this time, there is no conclusive evidence to suggest that vitamin B12 supplementation can prevent Alzheimer’s disease from developing. Research, however, does repeatedly show that good nutrition (including having adequate vitamins such as B12) does have a positive impact on your brain health.