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B Vitamins Linked to Cognitive Function

Low levels of vitamin B-6 and B-12 are associated with an increased risk of impaired cognition.

Previously, a number of studies have reported that high levels of homocysteine relate to an increased risk of cognitive decline, and that B vitamins may serve as cofactors for enzymes involved in the metabolism of homocysteine. Aron M. Troen, from Tufts University (Massachusetts, USA), and colleagues analyzed data from 2000 study subjects who participated in The Boston Puerto Rican Health Study and the Nutrition, Aging, and Memory in Elders study. The researchers found that low levels of vitamin B-6 and B-12 are associated with an increased risk of impaired cognition. Further, the team found that low levels of B-12 were associated with an increased risk of depression.

Denish Moorthy, Inga Peter, Tammy M. Scott, Laurence D. Parnell, Chao-Qiang Lai, Aron M. Troen, et al.  “Status of Vitamins B-12 and B-6 but Not of Folate, Homocysteine, and the Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase C677T Polymorphism Are Associated with Impaired Cognition and Depression in Adults.”  J. Nutr. , August 2012.

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