Can B-12 Vitamins Prevent Memory Loss?

Contributed by: Dennis Fortier, President, Medical Care Corporation

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Can B-12 vitamines prevent memory loss?  As with so many questions, the answer to this one is "it depends".

Remember, there are many causes of memory loss, including depression, anxiety, diabetes, medications, thyroid disorders, head injuries, strokes, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, tumors, sleep disorders, and drug use, just to name the most common. Vitamin deficiency is also on the list of common causes, especially for older adults who become less proficient at absorbing B vitamins from the foods they eat.

According to a recent study conducted at Rush University Medical Center and published in Neurology, research subjects who had markers for vitamin B deficiency, such as brain shrinkage and high homocysteine levels, also performed worse on cognitive tests compared to subjects without vitamin B deficiency.  These findings are consistent with other studies linking vitamin B deficiency to poor cognition.

So, it would be a stretch to conclude that taking a B-12 supplement will protect a person from all causes of memory loss or cognitive decline.  However, the evidence suggesting that proper intake of B-12 is important to ongoing brain health is quite strong.  In that regard, think about including fish, meat, poultry, eggs, milk, and cheese in your diet as good sources of B vitamins.