Vitamin B-12 may help lessen dreaded brain shrinkage
To add to the indignities of growing old, brain scanning experiments show that people suffer "brain volume loss" as they age.
But a new study shows that getting plenty of vitamin B-12 may minimize brain shrinkage. British researchers measured the brain volume in 107 people between the ages of 61 and 87. The scientists also measured blood levels of vitamin B-12, which is found in meat, fish, fortified cereals and dairy products.
The two thirds of subjects with the highest levels of the vitamin were six times less likely to suffer significant brain shrinkage, according to the study, published in the current issue of the journal Neurology.
While having a shrunken brain may sound bad, the study did not determine whether those low in vitamin B-12 were more likely to suffer from cognitive impairment.
