People who consume foods rich in vitamin B12 could be at lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Researchers analyzed blood samples from more than 270 individuals who showed no evidence of dementia. They tested for levels of vitamin B12 and for levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that has been linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease, and then tracked the study participants for seven years.
Each unit increase in vitamin B12 reduced the risk of developing Alzheimer’s by 2 percent.
According to CNN:
“The relationship between vitamin B12 and Alzheimer’s risk is ‘complex’ … B12 levels, particularly holotranscobalamin levels, likely play a contributory role.”
Sources:
CNN October 18, 2010
Neurology October 19, 2010;75(16):1402-3
