Vitamin B12 or vitamin B-12 was also called cobalamin which is one type of the eight B vitamins. It is a water-soluble vitamin relates to the normal functioning of brain and nervous system and the formation of blood. Vitamin B12 is proved to be involved in the metabolism of every cell of the human body, especially affecting DNA synthesis and regulation, and also fatty acid metabolism and amino acid metabolism.
Some evidences show that vitamin B12 may help lower blood level of a substance called homocysteine which is closely related to heart disease and stroke. One analysis of several studies found folic acid cut down homocysteine level by about 1/4 and when folic acid was combined with vitamin B12, homocysteine level was found declined by another 7%, according to an article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2002.
Since homocysteine levels can be lowered with folic acid and vitamin B12 supplements, some scientists start to assume that these vitamins could also work to reduce the risk of memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease. But a recent study indicates that taking vitamin B12 and folic acid supplements may not reduce the risk of memory and thinking problems.
This study was published online in the US journal Neurology. Test Subjects of involved in this study are these with high blood levels of homocysteine which is linked to memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease. Those 2,919 subjects involved are old people with an average age of 74. They were respectively asked to take a tablet with 400 micrograms of folic acid and 500 micrograms of vitamin B12 or a placebo every day for two years. And their memory and thinking skills were tested at the beginning and end of the study.
The result showed that the homocysteine level of the group of people taking vitamin B12 decreased by more than the group taking the placebo. However, when it came to the thinking and memory ability, there was no big difference between the two groups.
This research has overthrown the results of early studies which shows taking folic acid and vitamin B12 may be beneficial to human’s thinking and memory skills. Can Vitamin B12 really reduce the risk of memory loss? This still remains a question needed to be further studied
About homocysteine
Homocysteine is a non-protein α-amino acid. And it is also one of the 20 amino acids in the world, which are molecules that the body requires to synthesize all body proteins. And its reaction occurs usually with the help of vitamin B6, vitamin B12 and folic acid.
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