Senile
Dementia and Alzheimer’s
Can be Prevented with B Vitamins
Duthie SJ,
Whalley LJ, Collins AR, Leaper S, Berger K, Deary IJ. Homocysteine, B vitamin
status,
and cognitive function in the elderly. Am
J Clin Nutr 2002 May;75(5):908-13.
A strong inverse correlation was found between blood
levels of B-vitamins (specifically B-12 and folate) and decline of mental
functioning with advanced age. Statistical analysis showed a high level of
significance (p<0.01). Approximately 80 percent of elderly people with mental
decline go on to develop more serious dementia—principally Alzheimer’s. In a
group of 186 people, all 78 years old, mental function was compared with blood
level measurements of B vitamins and homocysteine. Homocysteine increased with
decreasing intake of B-12 and folate. Elderly people with the lowest levels of B
vitamins had twice the risk of senile dementia and Alzheimer’s. Elevated
homocysteine is also associated with atherosclerosis and heart disease.