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LONDON, England (London Turkish Gazette), September 12, 2008:
A key vitamin found in fish, meat and milk may protect the brain as it ages, according to a new study.
The study, of 107 people aged 61-87, found that vitamin B12 could help stop the brain shrinking and maybe prevent memory loss in older people and dementia.
The study showed that those with lower vitamin B12 levels in their blood were six times more likely to experience brain shrinkage compared with those who had higher levels of the vitamin.
Researcher Anna Vogiatzoglou, from the department of physiology, anatomy and genetics at Oxford University, said: "Many factors that affect brain health are thought to be out of our control, but this study suggests that simply adjusting our diets to consume more vitamin B12 through eating meat, fish, fortified cereals or milk may be something we can easily adjust to prevent brain shrinkage and so perhaps save our memory.
"Research shows that vitamin B12 deficiency is a public health problem, especially among the elderly, so more vitamin B12 intake could help reverse this problem."
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Key vitamin found in fish, meat and milk may protect the brain as it ages
"…this study suggests that simply adjusting our diets to consume more vitamin B12 through eating meat, fish, fortified cereals or milk may be something we can easily adjust to prevent brain shrinkage and so perhaps save our memory."
- Anna Vogiatzoglou, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics at Oxford University
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The study looked at brain volume and loss was measured every year for five years. None of the people enrolled in the study were suffering memory loss at the start of the study and had sufficient vitamin B12.
Brain scans of those with high B12 levels (right) and those with low B12 levels (left). Courtesy: University of Oxford.
The participants were given yearly physical examinations, MRI scans of their brains, tests to check cognitive and memory skills, and blood tests to determine their levels of vitamin B12.
The results showed decrease in brain volume was greater among those with lower vitamin B12 levels.
© 2005-2008 Tüm Hakları Saklıdır
Key vitamin found in fish, meat and milk may protect the brain as it ages
Brain scans of those with high B12 levels (right) and those with low B12 levels (left). Courtesy: University of Oxford.
The participants were given yearly physical examinations, MRI scans of their brains, tests to check cognitive and memory skills, and blood tests to determine their levels of vitamin B12.
The results showed decrease in brain volume was greater among those with lower vitamin B12 levels.
© 2005-2008 Tüm Hakları Saklıdır
