A new study was published this week that shows that vitamin B may be useful for Alzheimer's patients, or thos at risk, according to Web Pro News.
"Our work shows that a key part of the disease process that leads to Alzheimer's disease, the atrophy of specific brain regions, might be modified by a safe and simple intervention," Dr. David Smith, the leader of the study, said.
The study, which was published in the journal Proceedings Of the National Academy of Sciences, found that people who took part in a trial had 90 percent less brain shrinkage when given a dose of vitamin B on a regular basis compared to those given a placebo. The areas of the brain that are affected by Alzheimer's disease were protected by the vitamin, including the parts that determine how we learn and how we remember and organize things in our thoughts.
"I've never seen results from brain scans showing this level of protection," Paul Thompson, a professor of neurology and head of the Imaging Genetics Center at UCLA School of Medicine in Los Angeles, said.
The study was previously conducted with results showing only 50 percent less brain shrinkage determined to have occurred in the participants. The new trial marks the beginning of a new path for scientists to investigate after previously hitting roadblocks in the attempt to find a cure. The researchers who led the study say that a combination of B-6, B-12 and folic acid was exactly what they were looking for. Vitamin B keeps amino acids in check, particularly homocysteine, a chemical that later becomes a brain chemical that controls memory. Larger doses of the vitamin earlier could potentially prevent brain shrinkage.
"The study needs to be repeated because there's a lot to learn about why homocysteine is damaging and whether lowering it can stop people with memory problems progressing to Alzheimer's," Thompson said. "But if the results survive retesting, homocysteine level could be a useful biomarker for Alzheimer's risk."
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