Copyright by GreenMedInfo LLC, March 25, 2019; Case Adams, naturopath
Researchers from the University of Oxford have determined that B vitamin supplementation can slow and possibly reverse the progression of Alzheimer's symptoms along with cognitive impairment.

The researchers – from Oxford's Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences - conducted a clinical trial with 156 elderly patients who had mild cognitive impairment and a high risk of dementia and Alzheimers disease. The researchers randomized the patients and for two years, gave one group a daily supplement with 800 micrograms of folic acid, 20 milligrams of vitamin B6, and 500 micrograms of vitamin B12. They gave a placebo supplement to the control group.

Before the trial and during the testing period, the researchers utilized magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to measure the patients' atrophy levels of grey matter in their brains. Atrophying grey matter is a sign of the progression of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. Atrophy in the grey matter is shown as the amount of grey matter shrinks in the imaging tests.

While grey matter regions did shrink among both groups, the researchers found that those given the B vitamin supplements had about seven times less grey matter shrinkage than did the placebo group.

The researchers also found that those whose grey matter shrunk fastest had higher levels of homocysteine, and those with higher homocysteine levels received the greatest benefit from the B vitamin supplements. They summarized the effects thus:    

“B vitamins lower homocysteine, which directly leads to a decrease in grey matter atrophy, thereby slowing cognitive decline.”

The researchers also conducted neuropsychological testing on the patients to correlate their grey matter losses with neuropsychological function. Their testing concluded that the B vitamins not only helped reduce grey matter losses, but also reduced the drop in neuropsychological scores among the supplement group.

In their conclusion, researchers say; “Our results show that B-vitamin supplementation can slow the atrophy of specific brain regions that are a key component of the Alzheimers disease process and that are associated with cognitive decline.” http://www.greenmedinfo.com/greenmed/newsletter

Vitamins

The ‘vital amines’ were discovered at about the turn of the 20th century. Since some were found not to be amines, the word ‘vitamin’ (dropping the e) was coined in 1912.

They became known because of deficiency diseases that were showing up in humanity. Research found that  the cause of many of these diseases was because of the absence of vitamins in the diet. When the intake of the foods with the vitamins was added, there was a dramatic relief of many illnesses. One such problem was scurvy in the men on the ships at sea. When fed foods with vitamin C  they overcame the problem.

Vitamins promote the rate and ease of how essential chemical reactions proceed in the body. They regulate metabolism. Many of the vitamins are so essential to the regulation of metabolism that many processes cannot work without them.

They assist in converting fat and carbohydrates into energy. Many vitamins are essential to the production of bones and tissue, one in particular being vitamin D. It appears that all cells in the body, blood cells and gastrointestinal lining cells require vitamin B-12.

They also prevent deficiency diseases. One of the brightest chapters in history is that of the discovery of how to prevent pellagra, scurvy (as mentioned above), rickets, night blindness, hemorrhagic diseases of the new-born baby. It seems incredible that less than a century ago, these diseases were widespread scourges of unknown causes, remedied often by simple vitamin rich food.
– Nutrition for Vegetarians, Dr Agatha Thrash, p.61,62