Low Vitamin B12 Levels Linked with Symptoms of Alzheimer's

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(B12 deficiency effect on brain functioning)

A recent article in the NY Times shines the spotlight on vitamin B12 deficiency and its possible effect on brain functioning. The story highlights the case of 87 year-old women. Two years ago her memory started declining and she became more confused and agitated. Her family had her tested and the memory clinic diagnosed  with Alzheimer's. B12 is an essential vitamin with roles throughout the body. It is needed for the development and maintenance of a healthy nervous system, the production of DNA and formation of red blood cells.

A severe B12 deficiency results in anemia, which can be picked up by an ordinary blood test. But the less dramatic symptoms of a B12 deficiency may include muscle weakness, fatigue, shakiness, unsteady gait, incontinence, low blood pressure, depression and other mood disorders, and cognitive problems like poor memory.

Labs differ in what they consider normal, but most authorities say a deficiency occurs when B12 levels in adults fall below 250 picograms per milliliter of blood serum. Like all B vitamins, B12 is water-soluble, but the body stores extra B12 in the liver and other tissues. Even if dietary sources are inadequate for some time, a serum deficiency may not show up for years. If the amount of B12 in storage is low to begin with, a deficiency can develop within a year, even more quickly in infants. Continue to read: nytimes.com

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Green tea flavonoid may benefit liver transplant patients

The green tea flavonoid epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) could help in the preventing re-infection with of the virus hepatitis C following liver transplants, suggest researchers. Read more: nutraingredients.com

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