Vitamins and dementia: How vitamin B12 can protect the brain

Many people want to have a good memory in old age.In this case, certain B vitamins can play an important role.

Especially important over the age of 60. This vitamin can protect the brain

Many people want to have a good memory until old age.Certain B vitamins may play an important role in this.However, the elderly in particular are often poorly supplied.

You can't think of words, you lose concentration more quickly, or you simply become forgetful - many people consider these problems to be part of the normal aging process.However, a specific vitamin may also be involved in how quickly or slowly these problems occur.

Research from Boston University (USA) provides new evidence that adults over 60 with high vitamin B12 levels are significantly worse mentally.The problem is this: In Germany, especially the elderly are at risk of vitamin B12 (cobalamin) deficiency.The study was recently published in the journal "Alzheimer's & Dementia".

Memory benefits last for years

For the study, researchers evaluated data from nearly 2,000 participants over an average of 14 years.They use not only the classic cobalamin as a marker for blood B12 status, but also a combination of three biomarkers: cobalamin, methylmalonic acid (MMA) and homocysteine.

What do MMA and homocysteine ​​mean?

The MMA test measures levels of methylmalonic acid, an acid produced in certain metabolic processes that require vitamin B12.The amino acid homocysteine ​​is a metabolic product.Vitamin B12, among other things, is needed to convert homocysteine ​​into useful molecules.It contains B12.

- Studies have shown that anyone suffering from this deficiency has an increased risk of stroke.

- Problematic for vegans: These foods contain vitamin B12

The result: People with high levels of vitamin B12 performed better on tests of memory, language and concentration than people with low levels for up to ten years.This relationship was particularly strong in people with high levels of uric acid (vitamin B9) in their blood.

The study supports previous research findings that dietary habits and, above all, vitamins play an important role in aging.In particular, a good supply of B vitamins may help prevent or reduce the risk of dementia, the authors concluded.

What makes vitamin B12 so important for the brain?

Vitamin B12 has many important functions in the body, such as the formation of DNA, hematopoiesis or the formation of the protective covering (myelin) of nerve cells.Research has not specifically looked at how vitamin B12 protects the brain.However, the results, along with previous research, suggest that vitamin B12 plays a role in maintaining the myelin sheath and regulating energy metabolism in the brain.The mechanism is also the effect of preventing harmful changes in the blood vessels of the brain.discussed as

The authors of the study therefore emphasize how important it is to check the food supply early and regularly.Especially since the supply of vitamin B12 decreases with age due to poor absorption in the digestive system.According to previous studies, one in two people over the age of 75 can only absorb vitamin B12 from food.

Good to know

People with certain stomach or intestinal diseases such as atrophic gastritis, Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, as well as vegans are often affected by vitamin B12 deficiency.

Should everyone measure their vitamin B12 status?

Some studies show that giving B vitamins can bring measurable improvement to people with dementia.Therefore, there are scientists who see the benefits of regularly checking the status of vitamin B. The pharmacologist and professor Irwin H.Rosenberg said in a statement on the matter: "I recommend testing patients for high levels of homocysteine ​​or vitamin B12 deficiency, as this may be one of the correctable factors in their cognitive decline."

However, the Consumer Advice Center points out that a team of researchers at the University of Danube Krems concluded that regular testing of vitamin B12 levels in people over 50 without symptoms of deficiency does not provide any health benefits.

The authors of the current study point out that more research is needed to understand exactly how vitamin B12 protects against cognitive decline and whether targeted dietary supplementation really makes sense.

- pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov: "High vitamin B12 intake from midlife to early life is associated with lower rates of depression"

- news-medical.net: "New Research Reveals Major Effects of B Vitamins in Health and Disease"

- Verbrauchercenter.D: "Which vitamin deficiency is useful to check for?"

- bfr.bund.de: "Vitamin B12 - pay particular attention to an adequate supply when eating a plant-based diet"

- The information does not replace medical advice and therefore should not be used for self-treatment.