Vitamin B12 “normal” levels may not be sufficient Avoid dementianew research can be found.
Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco studied 231 healthy elderly people (average 71 years old) who did not have dementia or mild cognitive impairment.
Blood tests showed that the average B12 levels was 414.8 pmol/L, with the minimum recommended level in the US being just 148 pmol/L.
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Participants with low B12 levels found that they had “slower cognitive and visual processing speeds” when taking tests linked to “subtle cognitive decline,” according to a UCSF press release .
The effect was more pronounced with age.
“Normal” levels of vitamin B12 may not be enough to drive dementia, new research finds. (istock)
People with lower levels also have more lesions in the white matter in the brain, which can be a warning sign of cognitive decline. Dementia or strokea researcher discovered.
The findings were published in the Annals of Neurology on February 10th.
Based on these results, researchers recommend updating current B12 requirements.
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“Previous studies that defined healthy doses of B12 may have missed high or low levels of subtle functional symptoms that could affect people without causing obvious symptoms.” said Ali J. Green, MD, UCSF Department of Neurology and Ophthalmology and Ophthalmology. Weill Institute for Neurosciences.
“Reviewing the definition of B12 deficiency to incorporate functional biomarkers could lead to previous interventions and prevention of cognitive decline.”
“Reviewing the definition of B12 deficiency to incorporate functional biomarkers could lead to previous interventions and prevention of cognitive decline.” (istock)
The researchers acknowledged that it was included only in this study. senior citizenit may have a “specific vulnerability” to a low level of B12.
However, these lower levels “can have a greater impact on cognition than we previously thought, and can have a much greater impact on a proportion of those we perceive.” Her PhD in Research and Medicine in UCSF Neurology and the Faculty of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Ottawa.
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“In addition to redefining B12 deficiency, clinicians should Please consider the supplement In older patients with neurological symptoms, even if her levels are within normal ranges,” she suggested with release.
“In the end, we need to invest in more research into the underlying biology of B12 deficiency, as it could be a preventable cause of cognitive decline.”
“Even participants at B12 level were deemed “normal” by today’s healthcare standards. Clear signs of neurological disorders were shown. ”
Dr. Brett Osborne, a Florida neurosurgeon Longevity ExpertsThe study said it supports the idea that “normal” vitamin B12 levels are “severely insufficient” to protect the brain from age-related declines.
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“Even participants at B12 level, considered “normal” by today’s medical standards, showed clear signs of neurological disorders – slow processing speed, increased white matter high intensity on MRI (markers of small vascular disease) and elevated tau protein (biomarkers of neurodegeneration).
According to Osborn, current minimum recommendations are not designed for optimal cognitive function or longevity.
One neurosurgeon and longevity expert recommends supplements with B-complex vitamins, including B12, to ensure healthy levels of homocysteine, an amino acid produced during protein metabolism. (istock)
“Instead, they were based on population averages. If today’s “average” person is metabolically unhealthy, then an inherently flawed approach. This is another example of mainstream drug delays Behind science. ”
Osborne clinics recommend supplements with B-complex vitamins, including B12, to ensure healthy levels of homocysteine, an amino acid produced during protein metabolism.
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“As homocysteine rises, a low B12 potential proxy – brain function decreases,” Osborne said.
The doctors noted that the study was observational and that “correlation does not prove causality.”
“Even participants at B12 level were deemed “normal” by today’s healthcare standards. Clear signs of neurological disorders were shown. ” (istock)
“However, are randomized controlled trials really needed to tell you that optimizing your B12 intake benefits your brain health? It’s to make sure eating vegetables is good for you. It’s like waiting for research to be done,” Osborne said.
“The data is there. Science is transparent.”
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Like the researchers, Osborne called for “normal” lab-level updates.
“That’s when you start Define health By optimal levels – not the “average” of an increasingly sick population. Because when you can be optimal, who wants to be normal? ”
“We don’t know any clear evidence suggesting the benefits of B12 supplementation in patients with no shortage.”
Dr. Ernest Lee Murray, a Board Certified Neurologist At Jackson-Madison County General Hospital in Jackson, Tennessee, the study agreed to raise the question of redefine which levels constitute B12 deficiency.
“Previous studies have recommended supplementation in patients with known vitamin B12 deficiency to alleviate cognitive problems, but no clear evidence suggests the benefits of B12 supplementation in patients with no deficiency “Murray, who was not involved in the research, told Fox News Digital.
The neurologist warned people taking “huge doses” of vitamins.
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“In many cases, high levels of vitamins, especially B12, do not cause problems. But that can happen,” Murray said.
“Elderly people or patients at risk of developing cognitive decline should discuss with their doctor about getting tested not only for vitamin B12 levels but also for other markers that suggest inappropriate absorption of vitamin B12. I recommend it.”
