Skip to main content

B vitamins and the aging brain examined


B vitamins and the aging brain examined

Image result for vitamins


B vitamins-B-6, B-12 and folate-all nourish the brain. But much remains to be discovered about the relation between these essential nutrients and our brainpower.take vitamins today
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) nutritionist Lindsay H. Allen has collaborated in ongoing research that has taken a closer look at the role these nutrients may play in preventing decline in brain function. The investigations, led by Mary N. Haan of the University of California-San Francisco, are part of the multiyear Sacramento (Calif.) Area Latino Study on Aging, or "SALSA." Begun in 1996, the study attracted nearly 1,800 Hispanic seniors, ages 60 to 101, as volunteers.
According to Allen, the research is needed because many studies of B vitamins and brain function have given inconsistent or conflicting results. Allen is director of the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Western Human Nutrition Research Center in Davis, Calif. ARS is the chief intramural scientific research agency of USDA. Scientists from the University of California-Davis (UCD) and the UCD Medical Center also are collaborating in the research.
An analysis of volunteers' blood samples showed that lower levels of one B vitamin, folate, were associated with symptoms of dementia and poor brain function, also called "cognitive decline," as determined by standard tests of memory and other factors. The impairments were detectable even though less than 1 percent of the volunteers were actually deficient in folate.
In women, but not men, low levels of folate were associated with symptoms of depression. In fact, female volunteers whose plasma folate levels were in the lowest third were more than twice as likely to have symptoms of depression as volunteers in the highest third. That finding provided new evidence of an association between lower blood folate and depression. Depression is already known to affect brain function.
In research with vitamin B-12, the SALSA team determined that a protein known as holoTC, short for holotranscobalamin, might be key to a new approach for detecting cognitive decline earlier and more accurately.
The researchers have published these and other findings, beginning in 2003 and continuing through this year, in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, The European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, The Journal of Nutrition, and The Journal of Nutrition, Health, and Aging.take vitamins today

Story Source:
Materials provided by USDA/Agricultural Research Service. Original written by Marcia Wood. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Essential Minerals

Minerals: Functions and Sources The body needs many minerals; these are called essential minerals . Essential minerals are sometimes divided up into major minerals (macrominerals) and trace minerals (microminerals).  A balanced diet usually provides all of the essential minerals. The two tables below list minerals, what they do in the body (their functions), and their sources. Major minerals Mineral Function Sources Sodium Needed for proper fluid balance, nerve transmission, and muscle contraction Table salt, soy sauce; large amounts in processed foods; small amounts in milk, breads, vegetables, and unprocessed meats Chloride Needed for proper fluid balance, stomach acid Table salt, soy sauce; large amounts in processed foods; small amounts in milk, meats, breads, and vegetables Potassium Needed for proper fluid balance, nerve transmission, and muscle contraction Meats, milk, fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes Calciu...

Vitamin C Can Reduce High Blood Pressure, Study Finds

Vitamin C Can Reduce High Blood Pressure, Study Finds CORVALLIS, Ore. - Researchers have discovered that a 500 milligram daily supplement of vitamin C can significantly reduce high blood pressure in hypertensive patients. The study, published this month in the medical journal Lancet, was done by scientists at the Boston University School of Medicine and the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. It was supported by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health. "Hypertension is a serious health problem in much of the world," said Balz Frei, professor and director of the Linus Pauling Institute, and a co-author of the research along with principal investigator Dr. Joseph Vita at Boston University. "It's a key risk factor in heart disease and strokes." "We believe this is a significant finding that may be of considerable value to patients who have moderately elevated blood pressure," Frei s...

Zinc can halt the growth of cancer cells, study says

Zinc can halt the growth of cancer cells, study says Zinc supplements can significantly inhibit the proliferation of esophageal cancer cells, according to a new study co-authored by a University of Texas at Arlington researcher. Previous studies had shown that zinc is essential for maintaining human health and protects the esophagus from cancer. However, it has never been fully understood why zinc has the ability to prevent cancer in the esophagus. In this study, a team led by Zui Pan, an associate professor of nursing at UTA's College of Nursing and Health Innovation and a noted esophageal cancer researcher, discovered that zinc selectively halts the growth of cancer cells but not normal esophageal epithelial cells. The finding was published this month in  The FASEB Journal , the official journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. Esophageal cancer is the sixth leading cause of human cancer deaths around the world, according to the Nation...