Dementia Risk Could Increase with Low Levels of Essential Vitamin

New Study Suggests

“Normal” levels of vitamin B12 may not be enough to ward off dementia, new research finds.

Researchers at the University of California San Francisco studied 231 healthy older adults (averaging 71 years of age) who did not have dementia or mild cognitive impairment.

Findings

Blood tests showed that their B12 levels averaged 414.8 pmol/L, while the recommended minimum level in the U.S. is just 148 pmol/L.

Participants who had lower B12 levels were found to have “slower cognitive and visual processing speeds” when taking tests, which is linked to “subtle cognitive decline,” according to a UCSF press release.

The effect was more pronounced with age.

The people with lower levels also had more lesions in the white matter in their brains, which can be a warning sign of cognitive decline, dementia, or stroke, the researchers found.

Recommendations

Based on these results, the researchers recommend updating the current B12 requirements.

“Previous studies that defined healthy amounts of B12 may have missed subtle functional manifestations of high or low levels that can affect people without causing overt symptoms,” said senior author Ari J. Green, MD, of the UCSF Departments of Neurology and Ophthalmology and the Weill Institute for Neurosciences.

“Revisiting the definition of B12 deficiency to incorporate functional biomarkers could lead to earlier intervention and prevention of cognitive decline.”

Expert Opinions

Dr. Brett Osborn, a Florida neurosurgeon and longevity expert, said the study supports the idea that “normal” vitamin B12 levels are “grossly inadequate” for protecting the brain from age-related decline.

“Even participants with B12 levels deemed ‘normal’ by today’s medical standards showed clear signs of neurological impairment — slower processing speeds, increased white matter hyperintensities on MRI (a marker of small vessel disease), and elevated tau protein (a biomarker of neurodegeneration). This is concerning to say the least,” Osborn told Fox News Digital.

Dr. Earnest Lee Murray, a board-certified neurologist at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital in Jackson, Tennessee, agreed that this study raises the question of redefining what levels constitute a B12 deficiency.

“Previous studies have recommended supplementation in patients with a known vitamin B12 deficiency to mitigate cognitive issues; however, no clear evidence has been found to suggest benefit in B12 supplementation in patients without a deficiency,” Murray, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital.

Conclusion

The study suggests that maintaining optimal B12 levels may be crucial for preventing cognitive decline and dementia. The researchers recommend redefining the normal range of B12 levels to incorporate functional biomarkers and emphasize the importance of early intervention and prevention.

FAQs

* What are the recommended minimum and normal levels of B12?
+ Recommended minimum level: 148 pmol/L
+ Normal level: 414.8 pmol/L (averaged in the study)
* What are the risks associated with low B12 levels?
+ Slower cognitive and visual processing speeds
+ Increased risk of cognitive decline and dementia
* What are the recommended supplements for maintaining optimal B12 levels?
+ B-complex vitamins, including B12
* Can taking mega-doses of vitamins be beneficial for brain health?
+ No, according to Dr. Earnest Lee Murray, taking high levels of vitamins can be harmful.