Re: Diet, nutrient levels linked to cognitive ability, brain shrinkage

[Guest guest]

Good article. Here are a couple more that may interest you:

Vitamin B12 and folic acid improve memory in two year trial[image: Vitamin

B12 and folic acid improve memory in two year trial]

*Tuesday, December 27, 2011.* The January, 2012 issue of the*American

Journal of Clinical Nutrition <http://www.ajcn.org/>* published the results

of an analysis of a randomized, controlled trial conducted by Australian

researchers which found that supplementation with folic acid and vitamin

B12 improved immediate and delayed memory in older men and women.

The current study analyzed data from a trial of 900 participants with

elevated psychological distress between the ages 60 to 74 who received 400

micrograms folic acid plus 100 micrograms vitamin B12, or a placebo for two

years. The original trial was designed to analyze the effect of the

supplements and other factors on depressive symptoms. (Late life depression

is a risk factor for cognitive impairment.) Cognitive function was assessed

at the beginning of the study and at 12 and 24 months.

While orientation, attention, verbal memory and processing speed remained

unchanged, greater improvements from baseline in immediate and delayed

recall scores were observed among those who received vitamin B12 and folic

acid compared with the placebo group. Plasma homocysteine, an amino acid

that, when elevated, is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular

events, increased by an average of 8.33 percent among those who received

the B vitamins, and by 22.45 percent among those who received the placebo.

Having a high homocysteine level at the beginning of the study was

associated with reduced cognitive performance at 24 months, as were higher

depression scores.

" The significant effect of folic acid plus vitamin B12 supplementation

occurred in the later stage of the intervention, i.e., at 24 months, "

Janine G. and colleagues write. " It is possible that the effects of

folic acid plus vitamin B12 supplementation are long term and operate by

reducing vascular and other metabolic risk factors for cognitive

impairment. "

" The prospect of using dietary supplements of folic acid and vitamin B12 to

prevent cognitive decline appears promising, " they conclude. " More studies

are needed to determine whether the benefits of folic acid and vitamin B12

supplementation found in this trial could be replicated in other

populations of older adults with increased risk of developing significant

cognitive impairment. "

Acetyl-L-carnitine reduces Alzheimer-like changes associated with elevated

homocysteine

[image: Acetyl-L-carnitine reduces Alzheimer-like changes associated with

elevated homocysteine]*October 14 2011.* An article published online on

October 6, 2011 in the journal *Rejuvenation

Research<http://www.liebertonline.com/rej>

* describes a role for supplementation with acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC) in

reducing the effects of high levels of homocysteine that are associated

with some of the features of Alzheimer's

disease<http://www.lef.org/protocols/neurological/alzheimers_disease_01.htm>

..

In their introduction to the article, Peng Zhou and colleagues at Huazhong

University of Science and Technology in China remark that Alzheimer's

disease-like changes including cognitive dysfunction, disrupted blood-brain

barrier integrity, increased amyloid-beta levels and tau

hyperphosphorylation have observed in mice in which elevated homocysteine

levels were induced. Studies have shown that acetyl-L-carnitine reduces

some of the cognitive impairment and functional degeneration found in

humans with Alzheimer's disease. While in vitro experiments have suggested

that acetyl-L-carnitine can reduce amyloid beta neurotoxicity, it had not

previously been known whether the amino acid would have a beneficial effect

in an animal model.

For the current experiment, 40 rats received water maze training prior to

injection with homocysteine or saline for 14 days. Half of the animals in

each group were given drinking water supplemented with acetyl-L-carnitine

for the two week treatment period. Water maze tests were conducted before

and after treatment to assess cognitive function.

Among homocysteine-treated rats that received acetyl-L-carnitine, memory

deficits, tau hyperphosphorylation and amyloid beta accumulation were

reduced in comparison with animals that did not receive the amino acid. The

team additionally found that supplementing with ALC suppressed amyloid beta

precursor protein phosphorylation, which is a possible mechanism for the

reduction of amyloid beta observed in the study.

" We found that supplement of ALC by drinking water for two weeks could

effectively reverse the homocysteine-induced tau protein

hyperphosphorylation, amyloid beta accumulation, and memory deficits in

rats, " the authors conclude. " Our data suggest that ALC may serve as a

promising candidate for Alzheimer's disease therapy. "

On Wed, Dec 28, 2011 at 9:55 PM, stardora <stardora@...> wrote:

> **

>

>

>

>

> Diet, nutrient levels linked to cognitive ability, brain shrinkage

> December 28th, 2011 in Neuroscience

>

> New research has found that elderly people with higher levels of several

> vitamins and omega 3 fatty acids in their blood had better performance on

> mental acuity tests and less of the brain shrinkage typical of Alzheimer's

> disease - while " junk food " diets produced just the opposite result.

>

> The study was among the first of its type to specifically measure a wide

> range of blood nutrient levels instead of basing findings on less precise

> data such as food questionnaires, and found positive effects of high

> levels

> of vitamins B, C, D, E and the healthy oils most commonly found in fish.

>

> The research was done by scientists from the Oregon Health and Science

> University in Portland, Ore., and the Linus ing Institute at Oregon

> State University. It was published today in Neurology, the medical journal

> of the American Academy of Neurology.

>

> " This approach clearly shows the biological and neurological activity

> that's

> associated with actual nutrient levels, both good and bad, " said Maret

> Traber, a principal investigator with the Linus ing Institute and

> co-author on the study.

>

> " The vitamins and nutrients you get from eating a wide range of fruits,

> vegetables and fish can be measured in blood biomarkers, " Traber said.

> " I'm

> a firm believer these nutrients have strong potential to protect your

> brain

> and make it work better. "

>

> The study was done with 104 people, at an average age of 87, with no

> special

> risk factors for memory or mental acuity. It tested 30 different nutrient

> biomarkers in their blood, and 42 participants also had MRI scans to

> measure

> their brain volume.

>

> " These findings are based on average people eating average American

> diets, "

> Traber said. " If anyone right now is considering a New Year's resolution

> to

> improve their diet, this would certainly give them another reason to eat

> more fruits and vegetables. "

>

> Among the findings and observations:

>

> a.. The most favorable cognitive outcomes and brain size measurements were

> associated with two dietary patterns - high levels of marine fatty acids,

> and high levels of vitamins B, C, D and E.

> b.. Consistently worse cognitive performance was associated with a higher

> intake of the type of trans-fats found in baked and fried foods,

> margarine,

> fast food and other less-healthy dietary choices.

> c.. The range of demographic and lifestyle habits examined included age,

> gender, education, smoking, drinking, blood pressure, body mass index and

> many others.

> d.. The use of blood analysis helped to eliminate issues such as people's

> flawed recollection of what they ate, and personal variability in

> nutrients

> absorbed.

> e.. Much of the variation in mental performance depended on factors such

> as age or education, but nutrient status accounted for 17 percent of

> thinking and memory scores and 37 percent of the variation in brain size.

> f.. Cognitive changes related to different diets may be due both to

> impacts on brain size and cardiovascular function.

> The epidemiology of Alzheimer's disease has suggested a role for

> nutrition,

> the researchers said in their study, but previous research using

> conventional analysis, and looking in isolation at single nutrients or

> small

> groups, have been disappointing. The study of 30 different blood nutrient

> levels done in this research reflects a wider range of nutrients and adds

> specificity to the findings.

>

> The study needs to be confirmed with further research and other variables

> tested, the scientists said.

>

> Provided by Oregon State University

>

> " Diet, nutrient levels linked to cognitive ability, brain shrinkage. "

> December 28th, 2011.

>

>

http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-diet-nutrient-linked-cognitive-ability.htm\

l

>

> Posted by

> Karl Stonjek

>

>