Vitamin B could prove to be a revolutionary weapon against age-related memory loss and, the results of a groundbreaking study suggest.
The research showed that large daily doses of B vitamins can halve the rate of brain shrinkage in elderly people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a precursor to Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.
Brain atrophy, which is a natural part of ageing, is known to happen faster in people with MCI who go on to develop Alzheimer’s.
The British-led scientists believe the vitamin treatment could delay or even prevent development of the disease. They are now seeking funding for another trial which will put this theory to the test.
The research, published in the online journal Public Library of Science ONE, is controversial because it defies current scientific dogma about the way to tackle Alzheimer's. It suggests simply taking vitamins can achieve results that have so far evaded pharmaceutical companies, despite millions of pounds being spent on experimental dementia drugs.
Researchers at Oxford University, assisted by colleagues in Norway, used an advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique to study brain shrinkage in 168 volunteers over the age of 70 with diagnosed MCI.
Over a period of two years, half were given a daily tablet containing high doses of the B vitamins folate, B6 and B12. The rest received a “dummy” placebo pill with no active ingredients.
At the end of the trial the effects of the vitamin treatment were found to be dramatic, and most pronounced in participants who started out with the highest rates of brain shrinkage.
On average, taking B vitamins slowed the rate of brain atrophy by 30 per cent, and in some cases reductions as high as 53 per cent were seen.
Prof David Smith, one of the study leaders from the Department of Pharmacology at Oxford University, said: “This is a very striking, dramatic result. It’s much more than we could have predicted.
“It is our hope that this simple and safe treatment will delay the development of Alzheimer’s disease in many people who suffer from mild memory problems.”
But he warned people not to rush into taking mega doses of B vitamins to ward off mental decline, even though the study results were “immensely promising”.
The long-term effects of taking big doses of the vitamins were not known, and there was some evidence that high folate intake could be linked to cancer, he said. However, asked if he would try the vitamin treatment if he was diagnosed with MCI Prof Smith said he would “with no hesitation”.
Although the trial was not designed to measure thinking ability, the researchers found that individuals with the lowest rates of shrinkage had the highest mental test scores.
MCI causes memory lapses and language problems that are noticeable but not bad enough to disrupt daily life. However, it is a known risk factor for Alzheimer’s and other kinds of dementia. Half of those people with MCI go onto to develop dementia within five years.
Brain shrinkage at the rate of around 0.5 per cent a year is normal for individuals over the age of 60 without MCI. For those with MCI, it is twice as fast on average and in people with Alzheimer’s, the brain can lose 2.5 per cent of its volume each year.
To date, most Alzheimer’s research has focused on the beta-amyloid protein deposits that accumulate in the brains of patients. But despite some promising early research the strategy has not so far proved successful in humans.
Prof Smith and his colleagues now hope to conduct a further trial specifically aimed at testing whether B vitamins can delay or prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s. If the funding is found, results can expected in around five years.
PA