(10-11-11) B vitamins and omega fat ratio are critical to prevent Alzheimer's disease

by John Phillip

(NaturalNews) Proper nutritional status, attained by consuming a healthy diet
teamed with natural vitamins and minerals along with optimization of omega fat
lipid ratios, can help to prevent cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer's
disease (AD) pathology. Researchers studying the effects of nutrition at Oxford
University in England found that daily supplementation with folic acid and
vitamins B6 and B12 lowered levels of homocysteine, a known risk factor leading
to decline in cognition and memory. Further evidence published in the journal
Molecular Nutrition & Food Research explains that a disproportionate ratio of
omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids plays a crucial role in the development of AD in
later life. Cellular nutritional saturation from diet and appropriate
supplementation with B vitamins and omega-3 fats may provide the cornerstone to
prevent this most feared memory-robbing disease.

Reporting in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, scientists
examined the proposed link between elevated homocysteine levels and cognitive
decline. Homocysteine has already been shown to dramatically increase the risk
of heart disease and heart attack in prior studies. Researchers examined 266
people over the age of 70 with established mild cognitive impairment, and broke
them into two groups. One group was supplemented with folic acid, vitamin B6
and B12, vitamin cofactors that lower homocysteine levels, while the second
group received a placebo.

B Vitamin Supplementation Shown to Lower Homocysteine by 30% and to Slow Brain
Atrophy
Brain wasting or atrophy is a common sign of cognitive impairment and is
closely associated with Alzheimer's dementia. The rate of brain atrophy is
increased by higher concentrations of homocysteine in the blood and brain
tissue. Researchers examining the results of this study found that the group,
which supplemented with B vitamins for a period of two years, experienced a 30%
reduction in homocysteine levels. They found dramatic improvements in mental
tests including global cognition and episodic memory (69% improvement in word
recall memory) compared to the control group.

The standard American diet (SAD) includes large quantities of oxidized omega-6
fats from fried and processed foods when compared to omega-3 fat consumption
(from fish, nuts and seeds). The ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids ranges
from 20:1 to as high as 50:1 (ideal range is no more than 4:1), creating a
perpetual degree of inflammation throughout the body. Researchers have
determined that this imbalance creates a disturbance in brain chemistry
affecting neurotransmitter balance and electrical firing in the brain that sets
the stage for amyloid tangles and cognitive decline.

Reestablishing omega fat homeostasis by balancing toward a 1:1 intake ratio
and by correcting B vitamin nutritional deficiencies provide deep insight
toward understanding and controlling the development of many forms of dementia
including Alzheimer's disease. Most middle aged adults will want to include a
high potency B vitamin supplement (preferably formulated from natural food
sources) and to include omega-3 fats from diet or fish oil consumption to lower
dementia risk factors.

Sources for this article include:
http://www.nutraingredients.com/Res...
http://www.chemeurope.com/en/public...
http://www.nutraingredients.com/Res...
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/...

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