These 3 Vitamins Stop Brain Loss And Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease
Even though aging cannot be avoided, its consequences can be reduced or prevented. After the age of 70, 1 out of 5 people will experience cognitive impairment, which will progress to dementia or even death in the next 5 years. A cure for Alzheimer’s disease has not been found yet even though the risk factors can be significantly regulated.0-study investigated 22 patients with Alzheimer’s disease. It found that all the patients had high levels of homocysteine in the blood. In fact, a pathologist from Harvard found that the brains of two children, who experienced a rare genetic mutation, had been transformed into a mush due to the high levels of homocysteine in their blood. Today, the high levels of homocysteine are thought to be one of the strongest risk factors for the development of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
The results of the study showed that 1 out of 6 cases of Alzheimer’s disease may be caused by the high levels of homocysteine in the blood. This in turn may lead to memory loss, cognitive and brain impairment.
B-COMPLEX VITAMINS CAN PREVENT MEMORY LOSS
The sufficient amounts of some vitamins are crucial for good memory even though many people are deficient. The body needs three vitamins, i.e. folate, Vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 in order to detoxify the homocysteine in the blood.
Vitamins B can prevent memory loss, slow down the aging process, sooth depression and even prolog longevity. These vitamins are crucial for the brain development as they help the production of neurotransmitters, which are essential for good state of the mind. Moreover, B-complex vitamins can provide a neurotransmitter balance and improve the mental well-being.
At the beginning, the results of the study were not successful. The study found that vitamins B can help lower the homocysteine levels in the blood, and thus can slow down the progress of brain atrophy in people with mild cognitive impairment.
Brain atrophy accelerates over time even though it is more progressive in Alzheimer’s patients and less accelerated in patients with mild cognitive impairment. So, the symptoms of Alzheimer’s diseases could be prevented if the rate of brain loss could be slowed down.
According to the study, people who took vitamins B for over two years had reduced the rate of brain loss. Moreover, the rate was almost reduced to a half in patients with high homocysteine levels. Researchers claimed that the vitamin B treatment slowed down brain atrophy, particularly in the brain regions susceptible to the Alzheimer’s process.
Even though most people take sufficient amounts of vitamin B6 and vitamin B12, they are folate deficient. Folate is mainly found in beans and greens. Therefore, studies found that the plant-based diet can lower the homocysteine levels in the blood by 20 % for a week. According to the researchers, the high content of fiber increases the levels of folate in the blood by 2 %, thus lowering the methionine intake and stimulating the production of vitamins in the colon. Methionine represents a methionine breakdown product that is mainly found in animal protein.
However, a plant-based diet in the long term may negatively affect the homocysteine levels due to the vitamin B12 deficiency. This is the most common deficiency in the USA with an estimated 40 % of people being deficient.
Moreover, vitamin B12 is the one of the most important vitamins B for proper brain function and memory. Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause numerous neurological disorders, such as cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s and dementia. It can also lead to brain shrinkage and atrophy.
In addition, vegans have a high risk for hyperhomocysteinaemia (too high levels of homocysteine in the blood) as a result of the decreased intake of fortified foods rich in vitamin B12. Moreover, if they take sufficient amounts of vitamin B12, they will be able to prevent brain loss.
BEST FOOD SOURCES OF VITAMINS B
The sources of B vitamins include legumes, green leafy vegetables, fruits, fish, eggs, poultry, carrots, bananas, peas, spinach and potatoes. B12 can be also found in animal products, such as fish, meat, eggs, poultry, eggs and dairy products.
Therefore, it is utter importance to maintain a balance of these essential vitamins in order to be able to support the function of the brain and prevent brain loss.
Comments
Post a Comment