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Vitamin B May Protect Against Alzheimer’s
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By Dr. Mercola:
Alzheimer’s disease is currently at epidemic proportions, with 5.4 million
Americans — including one in eight people aged 65 and over — living with Alzheimer's disease.1 By
2050, this is expected to jump to 16 million, and in the next 20 years, it
is projected that Alzheimer's will affect one in four Americans.
While the
cause of this condition is believed to be a mystery, it’s becoming
increasingly clear that what you eat, or don’t eat, can influence your risk
as well as the rate at which the disease progresses. B group vitamins, in
particular, especially folic acid and vitamins B6 and B12, are again making
headlines for their powerful role in preventing Alzheimer’s disease.
B Vitamins May Reduce Brain Shrinkage by Up to 90 Percent
High levels of the amino acid
homocysteine are linked to brain shrinkage and an increased risk of
Alzheimer’s. B vitamins are known to suppress homocysteine. In a 2010 study,2 participants
received relatively high doses
of B vitamins, including:
- 800 micrograms (mcg)
folic acid -- US RDA is 400 mcg/day
- 500 mcg B12 (cyanocobalamin)
– US RDA is only 2.4 mcg/day
- 20 mg B6 (pyridoxine
hydrochloride) -- US RDA 1.3-1.5 mg/day
The study
was based on the presumption that by controlling the levels of homocysteine,
you might be able to reduce the amount of brain shrinkage, which tends to
precipitate Alzheimer's.
Indeed,
after two years those who had received the vitamin-B regimen suffered
significantly less brain shrinkage compared to those who had received a
placebo. In those who had the highest levels of homocysteine at the start of
the trial, their brains shrank at half the rate of those taking a placebo.
The latest
study takes this research a step further, showing not only that B group
vitamins may slow brain shrinkage but that it may specifically slow
shrinkage by as much as seven-fold in brain regions specifically known to be
most impacted by Alzheimer’s disease.3
Among participants taking high doses of folic acid and
vitamins B6 and B12, blood levels of homocysteine were lowered as was the
associated brain shrinkage – by up to 90 percent. The researchers noted:
“ … B vitamins lower homocysteine, which
directly leads to a decrease in GM [gray matter] atrophy, thereby
slowing cognitive decline. Our results show that B-vitamin
supplementation can slow the atrophy of specific brain regions that are
a key component of the AD [Alzheimer’s disease] process and that are
associated with cognitive decline.”
Foods Rich in Vitamin B12 Also Shown to Lower Alzheimer’s Risk
According to a small Finnish study
published in the journal Neurology,4 people
who consume foods rich in B12 may reduce their risk of Alzheimer's in their
later years. For each unit increase in the marker of vitamin B12 (holotranscobalamin),
the risk of developing Alzheimer's was reduced by 2 percent.
This makes
a strong case for ensuring your diet includes plenty of healthful B-vitamin
sources, such as meat, poultry, eggs, dairy products and wild-caught fish.
Leafy green vegetables, beans and peas also provide some B vitamins, but if
you eat an all vegetarian or vegan diet, vitamin B12 is one of the nutrients
your body is most likely deficient in, as it is naturally present in foods
that come from animals, including meat, fish, eggs, milk and milk products.
This is
also a strong argument to use fermented
foods and limit sugar intake.
Consider that the entire B group vitamin series is produced continually
within your gut, assuming it is continually replenished and reseeded with
healthy flora from organically grown raw foods, particularly the flora-dense
cultured traditional fermented foods, e.g. yoghurt, sauerkraut, or failing
that, a good probiotic supplement.
B-Vitamin Deficiencies Tied to Brain Risks
Even if you eat animal foods, vitamin B12
requires a complex system in your body involving intrinsic factor to bind to
it so it can be actively absorbed in the end of your small intestine
(terminal ileum). As you grow older, the ability to produce intrinsic factor
decreases and may cause a deficiency state. Studies from the U.S. Framingham
trial show one
in four adults are deficient in vitamin B12, and nearly half the
population has suboptimal blood levels.
This is
important to be aware of, and correct if it applies to you, as people with
high levels of markers for vitamin B12 deficiency are more likely to score
lower on cognitive tests, as well as have a smaller total brain volume,
which suggests a lack of the vitamin may lead to brain shrinkage.5
A previous study on the impact of vitamin B12 on brain
wasting also found that seniors with lower vitamin B12 levels at the start
of the study had a greater decrease in brain volume at the end.6 Those
with the lowest B12 levels had a six-fold greater rate of brain volume loss
compared with those who had the highest levels.
Interestingly, none of the participants were actually deficient in
vitamin B12 -- they just had low levels within a normal range. This goes to
show that "normal" is not necessarily the same as "optimal" when you're
talking about nutrients. You don't have to be clearly deficient in order to
experience a decline in brain health. The study's lead researcher commented
on this, saying:
"Our results suggest that rather than
maintaining one's B12 at a level that is just above the cut-off for
deficiency, it might be prudent to aim to keep it higher up than normal
range."
Folic Acid Versus Folate: What’s the Difference?
Hearing about the benefits of B vitamins
for your brain health might make you consider trying a supplement. However,
it’s important to know the difference between folic acid and folate before
you do. Although often used interchangeably, folic acid is a synthetic type
of B vitamin used in supplements and fortified foods, while folate is the
natural form found in foods. Think: folatecomes
from foliage (edible
leafy plants) and not supplement bottles as a guideline.
There is
some research suggesting that taking high doses of synthetic folic
acid may actually increase your risk of cancer, immune system damage or
other health problems.7 Further,
in order for folic acid to be of use to your body, it must first be
activated into its biologically active form – L-5-MTHF. This is the form
that is able to cross the blood-brain barrier to give you the brain benefits
noted. However, nearly half of the population has difficulty converting
folic acid into the bioactive form because of a genetic reduction in enzyme
activity. For this reason, if you take a B-vitamin supplement, make sure it
contains natural folate rather than synthetic folic acid.
More Dietary Strategies for Fighting Alzheimer’s Disease
Ensuring you have adequate levels of B
vitamin in your diet is just one dietary strategy to reduce your risk of
Alzheimer’s and protect your brain health, as it's becoming increasingly
clear that the same pathological process that leads to insulin resistance
and type 2 diabetes may also hold true for your brain. As you over-indulge
on sugar and grains, and starve yourself of enough essential fatty acids,
your brain becomes overwhelmed by the consistently high levels of insulin
and eventually shuts down its insulin signaling, leading to impairments in
your thinking and memory abilities, and eventually causing permanent brain
damage.
Alzheimer's disease was tentatively dubbed "type 3 diabetes" in early 2005
when researchers learned that the pancreas is not the only organ that
produces insulin. Your brain also produces insulin, and this brain insulin
is necessary for the survival of your brain cells – that is, until the brain
starts resisting chronically elevated levels of it, and it becomes toxic.
You may
already know I have become passionate about warning of the dangers
of fructose. There is no question in my mind that regularly consuming
more than 25 grams of fructose per day will dramatically increase your risk
of dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Consuming too much fructose will
inevitably wreak havoc on your body's ability to regulate proper insulin
levels.
In one
study from UCLA, researchers found that rats fed a fructose-rich and omega-3
fat deficient diet (similar to what is consumed by many Americans) developed
both insulin resistance and impaired
brain function in just six weeks.8 Additionally,
recent research has also shown that intermittent
fasting also triggers a
variety of health-promoting hormonal and metabolic changes similar to those
of constant calorie restriction — including reduced age-related brain
shrinkage.
According
to Professor Mark Mattson, head of neuroscience at the US National Institute
on Ageing:9 “Suddenly
dropping your food intake dramatically — cutting it by at least half for a
day or so — triggers protective processes in the brain.” He
likens the effects to those from exercise, stating intermittent fasting
could help protect your brain against degenerative diseases such as
Alzheimer’s.
A Comprehensive Anti-Alzheimer’s Lifestyle
Memory loss and cognitive impairment are
NOT "normal" parts of aging. While even mild "senior moments" may be caused
by the same brain lesions associated with Alzheimer's disease and other
forms of dementia, these cognitive changes are by no means inevitable!
People who experience very little decline in their cognitive function up
until their deaths have been found (post-mortem) to be free of brain
lesions, showing that it's entirely
possible to prevent the
damage from occurring in the first place… and one of the best ways to do
this is by leading a healthy lifestyle, which includes:
- Limit fructose. As
mentioned, most everyone will benefit from keeping their total fructose
consumed to below 25 grams per day.
- Improve
magnesium levels. There
is some exciting preliminary research strongly suggesting a decrease in
Alzheimer symptoms with increased levels of magnesium in the brain.
Unfortunately, most magnesium supplements do not pass the blood-brain
barrier, but a new one, magnesium threonate, appears to and holds some
promise for the future for treating this condition.
- Optimize your vitamin
D levels with safe sun
exposure. Strong
links between low levels of vitamin D in Alzheimer's patients and poor
outcomes on cognitive tests have been revealed.10 Researchers
believe that optimal vitamin D levels may enhance the amount of
important chemicals in your brain and protect brain cells by increasing
the effectiveness of the glial cells in nursing damaged neurons back to
health.
Vitamin D may also exert some of its beneficial effects on Alzheimer's
through its anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting properties. Sufficient
vitamin D is imperative for proper functioning of your immune system to
combat inflammation that is also associated with Alzheimer's.
- Keep your
fasting insulin levels below 3. This
is indirectly related to fructose, as it will clearly lead to insulin
resistance. However other sugars (sucrose is 50% fructose by weight),
grains and lack of exercise are also important factors.
-
Vitamin B12 and
other B vitamins: As
mentioned, these vitamins appear useful in protecting against brain
shrinkage and may even help treat
Alzheimer's disease and reduce memory loss.
- Eat a nutritious
diet, rich in folate, such as the one described in my nutrition
plan. Vegetables, without question, are your best form of folate,
and we should all eat plenty of fresh raw veggies every day.
- High-quality
animal-based omega-3 fats, such as krill oil. (I recommend
avoiding most fish because, although fish is naturally high in omega-3,
most fish are now severely contaminated with mercury.) High intake of
the omega-3 fats EPA and DHA help by preventing cell damage caused by
Alzheimer's disease, thereby slowing down its progression and lowering
your risk of developing the disorder.
- Avoid and remove
mercury from your body. Dental
amalgam fillings, which are 50% mercury by weight, are one of the major
sources of heavy metal toxicity. However you should be healthy prior to
having them removed. Once you have adjusted to following the diet
described in my optimized nutrition
plan, you can follow the mercury
detox protocol and then
find a biological dentist to have your amalgams removed.
- Avoid aluminum, such
as antiperspirants, non-stick cookware, vaccine
adjuvants, etc.
- Exercise
regularly. It's been
suggested that exercise can trigger a change in the way the amyloid
precursor protein is metabolized,11 thus
slowing down the onset and progression of Alzheimer's. Exercise also
increases levels of the protein PGC-1alpha. Research has also shown that
people with Alzheimer's have less PGC-1alpha in their brains12 and
cells that contain more of the protein produce less of the toxic amyloid
protein associated with Alzheimer's. I would strongly recommend
reviewing the Peak
Fitness Technique for my
specific recommendations.
- Coconut Oil may
offer profound benefits in the fight against Alzheimer's disease. One of
the primary fuels your brain uses is glucose, which is converted into
energy. When your brain becomes insulin resistant, atrophy due to
starvation can occur. However, ketone
bodies, or ketoacids, can also feed your brain, perhaps better, and
prevent brain atrophy. It may evenrestore and renew neuron
and nerve function in your brain after damage has set in. In fact,
ketones appear to be the preferred source of brain food in patients
affected by diabetes or Alzheimer's.
Ketones are what your body produces when it converts fat (as
opposed to glucose) into energy, and a primary source of ketone bodies
are the medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) found in coconut oil, which is
approximately 66% MCT by weight. It can also be used to treat
Alzheimer’s disease by using a ketogenic
diet with coconut oil.
- Astaxanthin is
a natural pigment with unique properties and many clinical benefits,
including some of the most potent antioxidant activity currently known.
As a fat-soluble nutrient, astaxanthin readily crosses your blood-brain
barrier. One study found it may help prevent neurodegeneration
associated with oxidative stress, as well as make a potent natural
"brain food."13
-
Gingko biloba: Many
scientific studies have found that ginkgo biloba has positive effects
for dementia, including improving cognitive performance and social
functioning for those suffering from dementia.
-
Alpha lipoic acid (ALA) can
help stabilize cognitive functions among Alzheimer's patients and may
slow the progression of the disease.
- Avoid flu
vaccinations, as
most contain both mercury and aluminum, well-known neurotoxic and
immunotoxic agents.
- Eat plenty of
blueberries. Wild
blueberries, which have high anthocyanin and antioxidant content, are
known to guard against Alzheimer's and other neurological diseases.
- Challenge your
mind daily. Mental
stimulation, especially learning something new, such as learning to play
an instrument or a new language, is associated with a decreased risk of
Alzheimer's. Researchers suspect that mental challenge helps to build up
your brain, making it less susceptible to the lesions associated with
Alzheimer's disease.
- Avoid
anticholinergic and statin
drugs. Drugs
that block acetylcholine, a nervous system neurotransmitter, have been
shown to increase your risk of dementia. These drugs include certain
nighttime pain relievers, antihistamines, sleep aids, certain
antidepressants, medications to control incontinence, and certain
narcotic pain relievers.
Statin
drugs are particularly problematic because they suppress the synthesis of
cholesterol, deplete your brain of coenzyme Q10 and neurotransmitter
precursors, and prevent adequate delivery of essential fatty acids and
fat-soluble antioxidants to your brain by inhibiting the production of the
indispensable carrier biomolecule known as low-density lipoprotein. In fact,
last year the FDA required statin manufacturers to list “memory loss” as a
known side effect of their use.
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