Click here to see all of our great Vitamin B12...

Folate and vitamin B12 are associated with enhanced cognition in the elderly, according to a new study. Previous research indicates that folate,vitamin B12 and vitamin B6 help maintain a healthy level of homocysteine, an amino acid associated with suboptimal cardiovascular health and cognition.

The study evaluated 274 subjects between 65-79 years of age with normal cognition. At the beginning of the study, the subjects were assessed for serum levels of folate, homocysteine, and holotranscobalamin, which is the biologically active fraction of vitamin B12. After 7 years, the subjects were evaluated for cognitive performance including global cognition, episodic memory, executive functioning, verbal expression and psychomotor speed.

The study showed that imbalanced homocysteine levels at the beginning of the study were associated with suboptimal cognitive performance, including global cognition, episodic memory, executive functions and verbal expression. Increased levels of holotranscobalamin were associated with enhanced performance on global cognition, executive functions and psychomotor speed.

After excluding 20 subjects with significant decline in cognition, imbalanced homocysteine remained associated with decreased performance in episodic memory, execution functions and verbal expression. Higher holotranscobalamin levels remained associated with enhanced performance in executive functions and psychomotor speed. Higher serum folate levels were significantly related to enhanced performance on tests for global cognition and verbal expression.

The researchers concluded that folate, homocysteine and holotranscobalamin are related to cognitive performance in the elderly.

Reference:

Hooshmand B, Solomon A, Kareholt I, Rusanen M, Hanninen T, Leiviska J, Winblad B, Laatikainen T, Soininen H, Kivipelto M. Serum homocysteine, holotranscobalamin, folate and cognition in the elderly: a longitudinal study. J Intern Med. 2011 Nov 12. Published Online Ahead of Print.