Scientists from Saarland University and elsewhere found that vitamin B12 deficiency may increase the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia in the elderly population, affecting over 55 million people worldwide.
Hallmarks of this disease are an increased plaque burden and tangles in the brains of affected people.
It is a progressive disease beginning with mild memory loss and possibly leading to loss of the ability to carry on a conversation and respond to the environment.
Alzheimer’s disease involves parts of the brain that control thought, memory, and language. It can seriously affect a person’s ability to carry out daily activities.
Several lines of evidence showed that B12 deficiency is linked to AD.
In this study, researchers reviewed the biochemical pathways involved in AD that are affected by vitamin B12.
They focused on APP processing, Aβ fibrillization, Aβ-induced oxidative damage as well as tau hyperphosphorylation and tau aggregation.
They also did an overview of clinical studies utilizing vitamin B supplementation are given, and a potential link between diseases and medication resulting in a reduced vitamin B12 level and AD.
Besides the disease-mediated B12 deficiency, the reduction in vitamin B12 levels caused by an increasing change in dietary preferences has been gaining in relevance.
The researchers suggest that in particular, vegetarian and vegan diets are linked to vitamin B12 deficiency, and therefore might have potential implications for AD.
In conclusion, the current review emphasizes the important role of vitamin B12 in AD.
The team says this is particularly important, as even in industrialized countries a large proportion of people might not get sufficient vitamin B12.
The research was published in Biomolecules and conducted by Anna Andrea Lauer et al.
If you care about brain health, please read studies about how the Mediterranean diet could protect your brain health, and blueberry supplements may prevent cognitive decline.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies about antioxidants that could help reduce dementia risk, and strawberries could help prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
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