B Vitamins Helps Slow Alzheimers

Thanks to fellow blogger Diabetic Guy, I have found the courage to do more research about alzheimer's disease. Yes, I have written a few blogs about this, but when something as insidious as this scares the daylights out of me with the link to diabetes, it is depressing.

Now in the last few months several studies are giving me hope that there may be measures that can slow the progression of alzheimer's and maybe even slow the onset of alzheimer's. This is the B vitamins, B6 and B12, plus folic acid. Granted this will need more studies to determine how helpful this will be, but the discovery of this was surprising even to the researchers. No one expected a 50 percent slow down in the progression of alzheimer's.

The B vitamins, folic acid, B6 and B12 are protecting the brain and controlling the substance homocysteine in the blood. High levels of this substance are in direct correlation with the speed of brain shrinkage and alzheimer's progression.

All the researchers involved urge caution until more trials are completed because scientists are aware that high levels of the B vitamins can cause health problems which may offset the good. B vitamins are found naturally in meat, fish, eggs, and green vegetable which are all good for those of us with diabetes. B12 is also found in milk and some fortified cereals which may not be beneficial for some because of the levels of carbohydrates which many cannot tolerate well.

Many people that have been on Metformin may already be taking vitamin B12 and others are on B12 for anemia. Therefore, it is wise to consult your doctor before taking increased doses of the B vitamins. Rebecca Wood, the chief executive of the Alzheimer's Research Trust urges caution about the findings.

While these findings are very encouraging, we should wait for more research before overdoing vitamin B consumption. This will determine the correct amounts for best results and give doctors a clearer path to help diabetes patients avoid or slow the progression of alzheimer's.

Read about alzheimer's and B vitamins here and here. Read related blogs here and here.