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Large daily doses of B vitamins could halve the rate of brain shrinkage in elderly people with warning signs of Alzheimer’s, potentially delaying the onset of the disease, a study suggested. The team of British-led scientists behind the study believe the vitamin treatment could delay or even prevent development of the disease but stressed more research was needed to test this theory.
Over a two-year period, half were given a daily tablet containing high doses of the B vitamins folate, B6 and B12. The rest received a placebo pill with no active ingredients. The trial, led by researchers at Oxford University assisted by colleagues in Norway, yielded dramatic results. On average, taking B vitamins slowed the rate of brain atrophy by 30 percent. In some cases, there were reductions as high as 53 percent.
"This is a very striking, dramatic result. It’s much more than we could have predicted," said David Smith, one of the study leaders from the Department of Pharmacology at Oxford University, "It is our hope that this simple and safe treatment will delay the development of Alzheimer’s disease in many people who suffer from mild memory problems." Read more: thestarphoenix.com
Omega-3 deficiency and depression
The team led by Mathieu Lafourcade, of Unité Inserm's Neurocentre Magendie in France, found that a diet lacking ample omega-3 decreased the function of presynaptic cannabinoid receptors, part of the brain's signaling network that is thought to be involved in pain and appetite regulation. Read more: scientificamerican.com
