Elderly With Low Vitamin B12 Risk Brain Shrinkage And Cognitive Decline
Elderly individuals with low blood vitamin B12 levels have a greater risk of brain shrinkage and losing their cognitive skills, researchers from Rush University Medical Center, Chicago reported in the journal Neurology. Foods rich in vitamin B12 are mainly from animals and include, eggs, milk, liver, meat, and fish.
Christine C. Tangney, Ph.D. and team carried out a study with 121 individuals aged at least 65 years from the south side of Chicago. They underwent blood tests to check for their levels of B12 and B12-related metabolites which can give an indication of a B12 deficiency. They were also assessed for memory and other cognitive skills. About four-and-a-half years later magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of their brains were taken to see how big their brains were, as well as identifying some other signs of brain damage.
Those with four of five markers for vitamin B12 deficiency were found to have a higher risk of getting lower cognitive test scores and smaller total brain volumes.