Vitamins B12, B6 and Folic Acid Shown to Slow Alzheimer's in Study
Could a combinationof the vitamins B12, B6 and folic acid be first effective "drug" to slow down the progression of Alzheimer's disease? The concept looks promising. TheProceedings of the National Academy of Sciencesrecently published information about a study on aging volunteers that has demonstrated how this combination of B vitamins has, in their trials,slowed atrophy of gray matter in brainareas affected by Alzheimer's disease. In the words of senior study author A. David Smith, professor emeritus of pharmacology at Oxford University in England, "It's a big effect, much bigger than we would have dreamt of."
根据一篇关于Bloombergbusinessweek.com的文章，PNAS研究的志愿者被给予安慰剂或0.5毫克维生素B12,20毫克维生素B6和0.8毫克叶酸的组合。在试验开始时，使用磁共振成像扫描参与者的大脑。还测量蛋白质同型蛋白质的血液水平。试验两年后重复。
The two MRI scans were compared to see how much gray matter was lost in brain regions most affected by Alzheimer's disease. In doing so, the researchers could see that the participants taking the vitamin cocktail showed a significantly smaller amount of brain shrinkage in those specific regions than in the control subjects.
The PNAS study tracked 156 people ages 70 and older who had mild memory loss and high levels of homocysteine, which has been linked to dementia. Among people with elevated homocysteine, the study found that the amount of gray matter declined 5.2 percent in those taking a placebo, compared with 0.6 percent in those who took the vitamin cocktail. Smith declared that, "It's the first and only disease-modifying treatment that's worked. We have proved the concept that you can modify the disease."
The aging brain
随着人们的年龄，他们的大脑缩小了60岁的每年约0.5％.If there is a deficiency of B12, or if mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or Alzheimer's disease is present, the rate of shrinkage is accelerated. These researchers say that slowing the shrinkage of the brain may delay the disease's progression "so that older people can enjoy better lives until they die from another cause."
Jess Smith, who is a research communications officer at the Alzheimer's Society in the U.K. says that, "If you delay the onset by five years, you can halve the number of people dying from it." Jess Smith is not related to A. David Smith.
A healthy diet leaning toward aMediterranean diet,
regular exercise, an active brain and socialization have been considered by many scientists to be the bestexisting defense against developingthe symptoms of Alzheimer's.
If studies continue to show that supplementing a healthy lifestyle with a combination of vitamins B12, B6 and folic acid could potentially slow brain shrinkage and the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, many of us could have a better chance of enjoying the quality of our later years of life.
Of course, there's much more to be learned. However, this study gives us hope that a relatively inexpensive method to assist in protecting our brains is at hand.
Source:
Gerlin，A.（2013年5月20日）维生素，即每天延迟痴呆的一天成本便宜。彭博斯塔斯威州。从...获得http://www.businessweek.com/news/2013-05-20/vitamins-that-cost-pennies-a-day-seen-delaying-dementia-health
