Supplementation with B vitamins slows cognitive decline in elderly, study suggests
“Brain fitness” can be described as doing any number of things that help the mind stay active and keep a mental edge throughout life. There’s been a lot of focus on activities that keep the mind busy, such as crossword or Soduko puzzles, and now even some video games are specifically designed to stimulate our brains. But the focus also needs to be on sound nutrition, and according to a new clinical study, daily supplementation with B vitamins may also help slow down the age-related mental decline we’d all like to avoid.
The study, led by researchers from both the University of Oxford and the University of Oslo, found that a daily supplement in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) that combined folic acid along with vitamins B6 and B12 was associated with reduced levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that increases with age and is linked to declining mental function when present in high amounts. The B-vitamin cocktail also improved certain aspects of mental function in those who took them.
The study included 223 people over age 70 with MCI. The subjects were randomly assigned to one of two groups: a placebo group or a group receiving the B-vitamin supplement. Following the two-year trial, levels of homocysteine increased in the placebo group but fell significantly in the group supplementing with B vitamins. Additionally, those in the placebo group had more cognitive decline in comparison to the supplemented group.
Not surprisingly, the most dramatic effects were seen in those subjects who started with the highest levels of homocysteine. For those taking B vitamins with lower amounts of blood homocysteine levels, the rate of brain atrophy was reduced by 30 percent; those with higher levels of homocysteine reduced their rate of brain atrophy by 53 percent.
When considering the data, the researchers wrote, “One interpretation is that lowering homocysteine concentrations by administering B vitamins slows brain atrophy [wasting in the brain], which in turn slows both cognitive and clinical decline.”
The authors conclude, “Our data indicate that B vitamins may slow cognitive and clinical decline in participants with MCI, in particular those who have high tHcy [homocysteine] concentrations.”
This study corroborates recent epidemiological evidence from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, which found that individuals with lower levels of vitamin B12 are more likely to have smaller brains and score more poorly on cognitive skills tests (see more info here).
MCI affects about 16 percent of those over the age of 70, or about 5 and 14 million people in the US and Europe, respectively. The researchers defined MCI as “cognitive decline greater than that expected for an individual’s age and education level but that does not interfere notably with activities of daily life.”
Regardless of age, this study underlies the very good reason to get adequate B vitamins in the diet throughout all stages of life. It very well may help to keep your brain fit.
Reference: de Jager CA, Oulhaj A, Jacoby R, Refsum H, Smith AD. Cognitive and clinical outcomes of homocysteine-lowering B-vitamin treatment in mild cognitive impairment: a randomized controlled trial. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 2011. doi: 10.1002/gps.2758
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