There is still no proven way to effectively prevent or treat Alzheimer’s disease. Pharmacologists at Oxford University have shown, however, that large doses of B vitamins may dramatically reduce brain shrinkage in older people who are starting to have memory problems.
The study lasted two years and involved 168 subjects who had signs of mild cognitive impairment. The volunteers were randomized to receive either a placebo or a high-dose B vitamin containing folic acid plus vitamins B6 and B12. Their brains were scanned at the start of the trial and at the end. Those taking B vitamins halved the rate of brain shrinkage over the course of the study.
As dramatic as these findings are, there is still no answer as to whether this benefit will slow cognitive decline or prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Although it is too early to start popping massive doses of B vitamins, these preliminary results were far more dramatic than the investigators imagined possible.
[PLoS One, Sept. 8, 2010]
The People's Perspective on Medicine