Horse doses of B vitamins against senile dementia?

Vitamin B will help to cope with dementia
Vitamin B in large doses can halve the process of brain atrophy in elderly people experiencing the first alarming symptoms of impending Alzheimer's disease.
BBC Russian Service for GZT.RUReduction of brain mass is one of the signs of moderate cognitive impairment, that is, deterioration of cognitive function.

The process, accompanied by not too deep memory lapses and language problems, today's science is not able to explain normal aging – despite the fact that it often leads to dementia.

The version about vitamin B needs serious scientific refinement, but if it is confirmed, then, as experts say, this may be the first step towards delaying the development of Alzheimer's disease.

The study, the report of which is published by the journal Public Library of Science One, was conducted by specialists of the Oxford Project for the Study of Memory and Aging (OPTIMA) with the participation of 168 elderly people, each of whom suffered from moderate cognitive impairment.

Half of the volunteers each day received a tablet containing B vitamins (B6 and B12) in doses 300 times higher than recommended. The second half were given a placebo – the same kind of pills, but containing neither useful nor harmful substances.

And two years later, the researchers measured the rate of reduction of brain mass in all participants of the experiment.

On average, in people over 60 years of age, this rate is 0.5% per year; in those with moderate cognitive impairment, it doubles; in patients with Alzheimer's – by 2.5% per year.

Oxford scientists have found out: in those who took vitamin supplements, the process of reducing brain mass slowed down by an average of 30%, and in some cases by more than half, that is, these people developed brain atrophy no faster than their peers who do not have cognitive impairments.

Brain protection

Certain B vitamins – folic acid, vitamins B6 and B12 – control the level of a substance called homocysteine. Its high content in the blood is associated with an acceleration of the process of brain atrophy and with Alzheimer's disease.

The authors of the study believe that during the experiment, it was the effect of vitamin B on homocysteine levels that affected the slowing of this process. One of the Oxford scientists, Professor David Smith, says that the results of their work were more impressive than he expected.

"The effect was greater than anyone expected," he says. "And that tells us something about biology. These vitamins do something with the structure of the brain, they protect them, and this is very important, because to prevent Alzheimer's disease, we must protect the brain."

Now, according to Professor Smith, new research needs to be conducted to understand whether increased doses of vitamin B are really able to prevent the development of Alzheimer's disease in people with moderate cognitive impairment.

The British Alzheimer's Research Foundation, which participated in the financing of the project, also emphasizes the need for further research in this area.

"These are very important results: vitamin B points the way to protecting some elderly people from Alzheimer's disease," says Rebecca Wood, executive director of the Foundation. "These findings should inspire more large–scale trials with monitoring of people who are expected to develop Alzheimer's."

Vitamin B is naturally found in many foods, including meat, fish, eggs and green vegetables. Nevertheless, experts warn: you should not, after hearing about the work of Oxford scientists, immediately arrange an overdose of this vitamin.

"We have to be careful when we make recommendations for taking supplements such as vitamin B, as taking too high doses may cause other health hazards," explains Chris Kennard, chairman of the British Medical Research Council's Council for Neuroscience and Mental Health. "There is still a lot of work to be done before we can recommend such supplements as a prevention of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's."

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru09.09.2010