A simple thing you can do to help prevent brain atrophy.

Cognitive impairment and dementia are getting more common as we age and it makes sense to do whatever we can to help prevent it.

An increase rate of brain atrophy is often observed in older people who suffer from cognitive decline. Homocysteine, an amino acid, is a risk factor for brain atrophy and have been found to increase with low intake of B vitamin like B6, B12 and folic acid.

A recent study investigated the effect of 800 mcg of folic acid, 500 mcg of B12 and 20 mg of B6 daily comparing it with placebo over 24 months (Smith AD, et al. 2010).

The rate of atrophy was assessed with MRI and the results documented that the average rate of brain atrophy per year was 0.76% in the treatment group and 1.08% for the placebo group.


The rate of brain atrophy in participants with homocysteine levels of more than 13 µmol/L was 53% lower in the group taking the B vitamins.

You easily get the levels of vitamin B used in this study by taking 1 tablet of the formula "Vitamin B Complex." You can also read more about the benefits of B vitamins by clicking here.

To read the original abstract, click on the reference below.


Reference:

Smith AD, Smith SM, de Jager CA, Whitbread P, Johnston C, Agacinski G, Bradley KM, Jacoby R, Refsum H. Homocysteine-lowering by B vitamins slows the rate of accelerated brain atrophy in mild cognitive impairment: a randomized controlled trial. PLoS One. 2010 Sep 8;5(9):e12244.