Vitamin B has been show to slow the shrinking of the brain that occurs in aging. Certain B vitamins such as folic acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12, are known to control levels of the amino acid homocysteine in the blood. High levels of homocysteine are associated with an increased risk of Alzheimers.
In a study of nearly 170 volunteers at Oxford University, researchers used MRI scans to measure the rate of brain shrinkage over a two-year period. They found that on average, the brains of those taking a tablet that combined folic acid and vitamins B6 and B12 shrank at a rate of 0.76 percent a year, while those in the placebo group had a mean brain shrinkage rate of 1.08 percent. Those subjects in the study with high homocysteine blood levels benefited the most, with a nearly 50% decrease in brain shrinking rate when compared to subjects in the study group that were taking placebos.
According to an article on the CNN website, the researchers said that "The two-year clinical trial is the largest to study the effect of vitamin B on MCI and one of the first disease-modifying trials in the Alzheimer's field to show positive results."
The researchers made it clear that this was a limited study and that more research is needed.
William Thies, chief medical officer of the Alzheimer's Association, expressed his concern as well saying that "No recommendations can or should be made to doctors or the public regarding use of B vitamins based on this study. No clinical or personal habits should be changed as a result of this article." (Translation: heaven forbid that we find something as benign as vitamins helping with this horrible disease. How can we make money selling Vitamin B? We need a drug!)
I find the position of William Thies perplexing. Tell me, what can it hurt to try an increased dosage of the B Vitamins? We are talking about an illness for which there is no medical answer, so if taking an increased amount of Vitamin B fails to make a difference, then what is lost? What is gained... increase health in general?
As for me, I believe that we should increase our vitamin consumption across the board, and that includes an increased dose of the B Vitamins. It might not slow down brain matter loss, senile dementia, and Alzheimer's Disease, but then again, it just might. Either way, the B vitamins are necessary for healthy physiology. Perhaps What Dr. Thies wants is for our at risk adult population to just sit and wait for the next "miracle" drug with all of its unknown side effects. After all, a cure is just around the corner, right? Brilliant.
Keith Biggs, DC
www.eastmesachiropractor.com
biggschiropractic@gmail.com
I take my multi-vitamin that has the Bs in it at 100% daily requirement. Dr. Oz recommends: Selenium, CoQ10, Vitamin E, Omega-3 Fish Oil, Caltrate, Flaxseed....do I still need a B?
ReplyDeleteThe more I read, the more that I believe that we take way too few vitamins in general. Just remember, the RDA is the Minimum that you need to stay alive. The real question that everyone is trying to answer is exactly how much you need to not only not die but to be healthy... I believe that we eat foods that for the most part are vitamin deficient.
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