B vitamins slow brain atrophy in people with memory problems take vitamins today Daily tablets of certain B vitamins can halve the rate of brain shrinkage in elderly people who suffer from mild memory problems, an Oxford University study has shown. take vitamins today The two-year randomised clinical trial is the largest to study the effect of B vitamins on mild cognitive impairment, and one of the first disease-modifying trials in the Alzheimer's field to show positive results in people. Around 1 in 6 elderly people over the age of 70 has mild cognitive impairment, experiencing problems with memory, language, or other mental functions, but not to a degree that interferes with daily life. Around half of people with mild cognitive impairment go on to develop dementia -- mainly Alzheimer's disease -- within five years of diagnosis. Certain B vitamins -- folic acid, vitamin B 6 and vitamin B 12 -- are known to control levels of the amino acid homocysteine in t...