Vitamin B-12 helps the body maintain healthy nerve cells, so a deficiency can put the body at risk for mental illnesses. Vitamin B-12 deficiencies have been associated with memory loss that, in some cases, is beyond repair. A prolonged shortage of vitamin B-12 cause the development of mental disorders such as depression, dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
Vitamin B-12 is most naturally abundant in meats such as liver, beef and certain types of fish. You can also find it in the form of supplements at your local health food store. Vitamin B-12 deficiencies are most common among vegetarians or vegans and elderly citizens. A deficiency can lead to the development of anemia and other gastrointestinal disorders while also having a negative effect on the brain.
Alzheimer's Disease
Many elderly citizens suffer from B-12 deficiencies, which puts them at a greater risk for Alzheimer's, according to Dr. Babak Hooshmand from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. In a 2010 Finnish study of elderly citizens published by "Neurology," researchers found that 6 percent developed the disease in a span of seven years. All of those who developed the disease had low levels of vitamin B-12 in their systems.
Dementia
Low vitamin B-12 levels have been associated with cognitive decline. Vitamin B-12 is necessary necessary for metabolizing homocysteine, an amino acid that is naturally present in the blood. According to a 2008 study published by the "European Journal of Neurology," a deficiency of vitamin B-12 results in an excess of homocysteine and can lead to dementia. This study revealed that people with high levels of homocysteine in their blood were more than twice as likely to develop dementia as those with normal levels of the amino acid.
Depression
Having lower than normal levels of vitamin B-12 has been associated with feelings of depression and fatigue. In a May 2000 study published by the "American Journal of Psychiatry," women who were diagnosed with clinical depression were given vitamin B-12 supplements over a period of time. Of the women who were classified as severely depressed, 27 percent had a significant vitamin B-12 deficiency. Researchers in this study concluded that women who experienced vitamin B-12 deficiencies were twice as likely to experience severe depression as women with normal B-12 levels.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Can Vitamin B-12 Improve Memory in Alzheimer's Disease?; Glenn Smith, Ph.D.; January 2011
- "European Journal of Neurology"; Homocysteine and Holo-transcobalamin and the Risk of Dementia and Alzheimers Disease: A Prospective Study; M. Kivipelto, et al.; July 2009
- Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin B12 Fact Sheet
- "American Journal of Psychiatry"; Vitamin B12 Deficiency and Depression in Physically Disabled Older Women: Epidemiologic Evidence From the Women's Health and Aging Study; B. Penninx, Ph.D., et al.; May 2000
- "Neurology"; Homocysteine and Holotranscobalamin and the Risk of Alzheimer Disease; B. Hooshmand, M.D., et al.; October 2010
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