If you want to prevent Alzheimer's disease, get your B vitamins. In this Health Smarts video, Robin Miller, MD, reveals how much vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and folic acid you need to help prevent memory loss, as well as heart disease and depression.
To be or not to be, but the real question is, can B vitamins help prevent Alzheimer's? Hi, I'm Dr. Miller. A study of older people with mild memory problems who took real or fake high doses of B6, B12 and folic acid for two years showed interesting results. The vitamin takers had 30-50% less brain shrinkage and scored higher on cognitive tests than those who got fakes.
This is only one study but it's intriguing enough to be sure you get plenty of vitamin B. It will not only defend your brain, but it can lower your risk of heart disease, depression, stroke, vision loss and lung cancer. I suggest 6mg of B6 and 700µg of folic acid. How much B12 you need depends on your age.
I you're younger than 50, figure at least 25µg. After 50, start taking 400-800µg of B12 daily. That's because your body's production of the digestive juice is needed to absorb B12, declines with age. So be smart and get your vitamin B. For more ways to nourish your health, check out all our smart tips, right here.
Our experts agree it’s best to get vitamins and other nutrients from your diet, not dietary supplements. But sometimes it makes sense to take a vitamin, especially if you're deficient in vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids and certain minerals.
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