These 3 Vitamins May Stop Brain Loss And Prevent Alzheimer's Disease

Did you know that after age 70, about 1 in 5 people suffer from some kind of cognitive problem? In other words, after an advanced age, many will develop some serious degree of dementia. One of the most known diseases related to the brain is Alzheimer's, which is characterized by the loss of mental functions that occur from the loss of neurons. Although this disease does not have a cure yet, it's believed that the causes of late development of the disease are a combination of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. One of these factors drew a lot of attention from researchers, who discovered a strong link between homocysteine levels and the onset of the disease. To give you an idea, 1 in 6 Alzheimer's cases had a large amount of homocysteine. In addition to Alzheimer's, this amino acid has also been linked to the risk of heart disease. What exactly is homocysteine? Homocysteine is an amino acid naturally present in our body. The concentration of homocysteine present in our body is produced from methionine, an amino acid that can be found in several foods, especially in products such as red meat, seafood, dairy products, and eggs. That is, the compound is not acquired by food, but its levels are directly linked to it. A small, very promising study showed that vitamin B supplements significantly reduced homocysteine levels in patients with mild cognitive impairment. They also decreased the rate of brain atrophy. After this discovery, you may be wondering if increasing the consumption of B vitamins might not be the solution to prevent cognitive illnesses like Alzheimer's. Since the production of homocysteine is due to a process that occurs as a result of our diet, nutrition is the best way to maintain balanced levels. To reduce levels of this amino acid, our body needs three vitamins, folate, folic acid, vitamin B12, and vitamin B6. In fact, most people consume foods rich in B12 and B6. The big problem is folate. One of the best sources of folate are dark green leafy vegetables, which too often aren't found enough in people's diets today. It's estimated that 96% of Americans don't ingest the minimum recommended amount of these vegetables. A good way to increase folate intake is by consuming vegetables like spinach, turnip, bok choy, parsley, and lettuce. Broccoli, cauliflower, and lentils can also be included in the list of foods with good folate concentrations. Regular consumption of these foods, such as dark green leafy vegetables, has the ability to reduce homocysteine levels in the body in a short time. Vegetarians and vegans who follow vegetable-based diets also need to pay attention, because although they consume good amounts of folate, they end up being more deficient in vitamin B12. A good remedy for this is to take a B12 supplement. In summary, the balanced intake of folate, vitamin B6, and B12 is of paramount importance and may be the key to reducing the chances of developing brain diseases in the future.