Vitamin B-12 Deficiency Raises Risk of Brain Shrinkage

Vitamin B-12 (also known as cobalamin and cyanocobalamin), is required for the production of red and white blood cells and blood platelets (thrombocytes), the manufacture of substances needed for correct cell functioning, and the metabolism of nutrients necessary for cell growth. Vitamin B-12 is essential for the recycling of certain enzymes that maintain the health of blood, nerve, and other cells. Christine Tangney, from Rush University (Illinois, USA), and colleagues enrolled 121 men and women, ages 65 years and over, for a study in which blood samples were collected at the study's start and conclusion, and brain scans conducted after 4 1/2 years. The MRI scans revealed that total brain volume was decreased in those subjects who were vitamin B-12 deficient. As well, the team found that markers of vitamin B-12 status were linked to poor episodic memory. Further, elevated homocysteine (often associated with low vitamin B-12 status) was linked with decreased total brain volume.