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Enhancing Metabolism with Fiber Moderate Drinking Boosts Breast Cancer Recurrence A Brief Overview on Muscle Testing Testosterone Therapy Does Not Increase Prostate Cancer Risks Green Tea Decreases Abdominal Fat Low Testosterone Linked To Poor Health in Aging Men Low-Carb Diet Decreases Inflammation ED Is An Important Marker of Cardiovascular Disease Endurance Exercise Reduces Fat Surrounding the Heart |
Vitamin B Deficiency Associated With Cognitive Impairment Vitamin B deficiency is associated with cognitive impairment in mice, as well as elevated homocysteine and microvascular changes in the brain. High levels of homocysteine predispose to cerebrovascular disease and Alzheimer's disease in humans. Mice were fed one of two diets designed to increase homocysteine, or a control diet, for 10 weeks. One diet was deficient in folate, vitamin B12, and vitamn B6; the other was enriched in methionine (an amino acid). B vitamins are necessary to break down homocysteine, while methionine rich diets increase homocysteine production. Spatial learning and memory were evaluated with a water maze test. Mice given the vitamin B-deficient diet had impaired test performance compared with the other groups. Brain examination revealed that both diets, and especially the vitamin-B deficient diet, reduced brain capillary length and density, and these changes correlated with both elevated homocysteine and slower performance on the water maze test. The findings suggest that microvascular changes may underlie neurodegeneration associated with hyperhomocysteinemia, and offer hope that B vitamins could be protective. (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, 2008) |