Vitamins May Improve Cognitive Health

A new study investigated the relationship between deficient levels of certain vitamins and risk factors associated with developing Alzheimer’s disease. It is estimated that 5.3 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease and it is currently the seventh-leading cause of death in the United States. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia, accounting for 50 to 70 percent of dementia cases. Patients with Alzheimer’s disease develop plaques made up of a protein fragment called beta-amyloid (Abeta), which is deposited between nerve cells, and tangles of fibers, known as tau, which form inside the nerve cells.

Recent research indicates that elevated levels of the amino acid homocysteine (hyperhomocysteinemia) are a risk factor for developing Alzheimer’s disease. Elevated homocysteine is associated with deficient intakes of vitamin B6, vitamin B12 and folic acid.

In this new study, researchers examined the result of low intake of vitamin B6, vitamin B12 and folic acid in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. Specifically, the effect of low intakes of these three B vitamins on homocysteine levels and the development of beta-amyloid plaques was evaluated.

The results showed that the mice receiving a diet deficient in vitamin B6, vitamin B12 and folic acid had elevated homocysteine levels compared to mice in a control group that were fed a standard, vitamin-sufficient diet. Furthermore, the mice with hyperhomocysteinemia had an increase in beta-amyloid levels and deposits (amyloidosis) in both the cortex and hippocampus regions of their brains.

The researchers concluded, “Our findings demonstrate that a dietary condition which leads to hyperhomocysteinemia may also result in increased Abeta levels and deposition in a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease-like amyloidosis. They further support the concept that dietary factors can contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s disease neuropathology.”

References:

Zhuo JM, Praticò D. Acceleration of brain amyloidosis in an Alzheimer’s disease mouse model by a folate, vitamin B6 and B12-deficient diet. Exp Gerontol. 2009 Dec 11. Published Online Ahead of Print.