B Vitamins and Alzheimer's Disease
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B Vitamins serve crucial roles in many parts of the brain and nervous system.
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A study conducted by the U.S. Center for Disease Control found that lower consumption of B Vitamins was linked to a greater risk of developing Alzheimer's.
B Vitamins Overview
B Vitamins are a group of several vitamins; each vitamin is responsible for different functions in the human body. The Vitamins B3, B6, B9, & B12 play important roles in the human brain and nervous system.
Vitamin B12 is needed to create and maintain nerve cells, Vitamins B3 & B9 are used to create and repair of DNA, and Vitamin B6 is needed to create the chemicals nerves use to communicate with each other.
B Vitamins and the Brain
Vitamin B12
One of B12's most important functions is to create, maintain, and repair the Myelin Sheath. The Myelin Sheath is the layer that covers and insulates nerve cells. It is required for nerves to communicate with each other. When the Myelin Sheath is damaged, as it is in Alzheimer's and dementia, nerve cells are not able to communicate. The result is a series of mental difficulties ranging from the inability to form new memories to difficulty communicating.
Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
Vitamin B3 is used in the creation and repair of DNA, the growth of nerve cells, and to create usable energy sources for the brain. B3 also helps repair the neurons of the brain and serves as a powerful antioxidant.
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 is used in the creation neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are the chemicals nerves use to communicate with each other. Similar to B3, B6 is also needed in for the metabolism of nutrients to create of fuel for the human brain.
Vitamin B9 (Folate or folic acid)
Vitamin B9 is essential for the creation of DNA and amino acids, two components needed for the healthy functioning of almost every system in the human body. Folic acid supplementation has also been found to reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and several other serious illnesses.
The Evidence, Research & Studies
Researchers at the University of Oxford conducted a study that found that dementia patients who took a B Vitamin supplement had significantly less brain damage than those that did not.
Researchers at the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that individuals whom had a lower intake of Vitamin B3 were more likely to develop Alzheimer’s. The study also concluded that higher levels of Vitamin B3 slowed the progression of Alzheimer’s.
B Vitamins Review
B Vitamins are essential components of numerous functions of the human body and brain. Vitamins B3, B6, B9, & B12 are required for the brain and human nervous system to function. B Vitamins are responsible for functions ranging from creating fuel the brain used to function to the creation and repair of critical parts of the human nervous system. Many studies have been done on B Vitamins, and while all of them do not agree, credible studies have shown that B Vitamins have considerable cognitive benefits.
