Here's food for thought: Deficiencies of B vitamins can occur in anyone from developing fetuses to breastfeeding babies to senior citizens. Foods rich in B vitamins are abundant and easily obtained. Yet some populations are at increased risk for B vitamin deficiencies that could contribute to decreased brain function.
Cognitive Function and Nutrition
A gradual decline in cognitive function, known as dementia, is often associated with aging. Dementia is a disease of the brain that diminishes your ability to process information as it applies to memory, attention, language, and problem solving. Says physician Irwin H. Rosenberg, heads of the Nutrition and Neurocognition Laboratory at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, "Loss of cognitive ability robs quality of life and independence." Dr. Rosenburg's research focuses on finding ways to forestall or prevent a decline in cognitive function. One area of research that show promise is supplementation of B vitamins, particularly vitamins B6, or folate, and B12.
Vitamin B Deficiency
B vitamins appear to be effective in slowing cognitive decline. In an article published in "Plos One," researchers from Oxford University, described a a two-year clinical trial in which subjects exhibiting mild cognitive impairment, or MCI, were given high daily doses of vitamins B6 and B12 . Individuals with MCI are at higher risk of progression to Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. The study showed a slowing of brain shrinkage by up to 50 percent. Said David Smith, the study's co-leader, "This is a very dramatic and striking result. It's much more than we could have predicted."
B Vitamins and Brain Cells
While the precise mechanisms by which B vitamins impact brain cell function are unclear, scientists are seeing a definitive link between vitamin B and brain health. In a 2010 study of laboratory rats, doctors at Detroit's Henry Ford Hospital found that vitamin B3, or niacin, appeared to restore neurological pathways after a stroke, findings that show promise for humans. Dr. Rosenberg's group at Tuft's University found that senior subjects with high B6 and adequate B12 status scored high on cognitive function tests requiring memory, rapid response, attentiveness, visual-spatial skills and associative learning, compared to significantly lower scores in a control group.
At Risk Populations
In addition to senior citizens, other populations at high risk for vitamin B deficiency that could impact brain health include individuals with gastric or intestinal disorders, alcoholics, strict vegetarians, pregnant and lactating women and their babies, and asthmatic children being treated with the drug theophylline. Dietary sources of B vitamins include red meats, eggs, dairy, poultry, fish, nuts, seeds and legumes. Although they are water-soluble, B vitamin supplements can be toxic if dosage is excessive. Consult your health care provider before self-supplementing with vitamins.
References
- USDA Agricultural Research Service: Nutrition and Brain Function: Boosting Our Knowledge of Brain Food: Rosalie Marion Bliss
- Medical News Today; Vitamin B Tablets Help Prevent Dementia And Alzheimer's Disease; Christian Nordqvist, September, 2010
- "The Telegraph"; Health News; Vitamin B 'can rewire stroke patients' brain', study finds; Andrew Hough; February, 2010
- Linus Pauling Institute Research Newsletter; Micronutrients and Cognitive Function; Victoria J. Drake, PhD, Spring/Summer 2011
- National Institutes of Health; Office of Dietary Supplements; Vitamin B12
- National Institutes of Health; Office of Dietary Supplements; Vitamin B6
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