B12 May Make Your Mind More Mindful

As your brain ages, it may shrink, shrinking your thinking skills at the same time. If you want to protect against this deterioration, taking vitamin B12 supplements may stave it off.

A study at the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago shows that older people with low levels of vitamin B12 in their blood may be more likely to lose brain cells and develop problems with their thinking skills.

The research involved 121 people age 65 and older living on the South Side of Chicago. Their blood was drawn to measure levels of vitamin B12 and B12-related metabolites that can indicate a B12 deficiency. The participants also took tests measuring their memory and other cognitive skills. An average of 4.5 years later, MRI scans of the participants’ brains were taken to measure total brain volume and look for other signs of brain damage.

Those people who were deficient in B12 were also more likely to be deficient in brain size and function.