Research carried out at the Artemis Health Institute in Guragon, India, has found that deficiency of Vitamin B12 could be responsible for contributing to brain disease such as dementia. Those who have a vegetarian diet are often seen to be deficient in this important vitamin, since the main sources of this nutrient are fish, meat, eggs, milk and its byproducts.
Lead author of the study, Dr Praveen Gupta warned of early onset of dementia since a majority of the Indian population is vegetarian and the consumption of milk is also on the decline, and that those who are lactose intolerant are also more at risk.
However, there may be hope in B-complex vitamin supplements – a study conducted by the Methodist Hospital in Houston found that it could be possible to prevent cognitive degeneration by taking B complex supplements.
Oral supplements and injections containing different types of vitamin B – folic acid, B6 and B12 were administered to study participants.
While taking vitamin B supplements does not ensure that one will stave off dementia, according to lead researcher Gustavo C. Román, “in the right dosage and for the appropriate patients, the vitamin B-12 treatment could be a step toward modifying disease progression.”
