Vitamin B12 can slow down the development of Parkinson's

Protects Vitamin B12 from Parkinson's?

Patients with Parkinson's disease for a short time could benefit from taking vitamin B12. Researchers have now found that low vitamin B12 levels can lead to faster development of symptoms of Parkinson's.

• People with a low vitamin B12 level develop symptoms of Parkinson's more quickly.
• Low vitamin B12 levels are associated with movement and balance disorders.
• Disease progression progresses more slowly when patients consume vitamin B12.
• Vitamin B12 deficiency promotes depression, paranoia, muscle numbness and weakness.
• Vitamin B12 is difficult to absorb via the intestine.

Researchers at the University of Rochester, the University of California, San Francisco, and the University of California, Davis found in their recent research that low levels of vitamin B12 lead to faster development of symptoms of Parkinson's. This suggests that dietary supplements containing vitamin B12 may delay the progression of symptoms. The experts published the results of their study in the English-language journal "Movement Disorders".

Effect of vitamin B12 levels on Parkinson's disease

Patients with low levels of vitamin B12 who have recently been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease are more likely to develop symptoms of the disease faster than those with a normal vitamin B12 level. In addition, scientists found that low vitamin B12 levels are also associated with increased movement and balance disorders, possibly due to the known effect of B12 deficiency on the central peripheral nervous system.

Participants were medically monitored for two years

In the study, the scientists divided the participants, who were recently diagnosed with Parkinson's, into three different groups that matched their vitamin B12 levels. The subjects had not started treatment for the disease at this time. The physicians examined the condition of the participants over a period of two years.

Participants were able to take vitamin B12 voluntarily

Upon completion of the preliminary evaluations of the study, patients were given the opportunity to take a controlled daily vitamin supplement. Research results showed an improved vitamin B12 level in about 50 percent of the participants. This suggests that the supplementation was successful, explain the scientists.

Disease progression was slowed by vitamin B12

Experts found that disease progression is much slower in patients with improved vitamin B12 levels compared to those with low B12 levels. Vitamin B12 ingesting humans also showed lower outcomes on the so-called Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), which is a measure of Parkinson's Disability. Deficiency of this essential vitamin promotes the development of neurological and motor symptoms associated with Parkinson's disease, including depression, paranoia, muscle numbness and weakness, the authors explain.

Vitamin B12 is crucial for cognitive health

Vitamin B12 is crucial for cognitive health. However, it is known that it is difficult to absorb the vitamin via the intestine. This suggests that taking a vitamin B12 supplement may be necessary. In fact, vitamin B12 is so hard to absorb that only about one percent of dietary intake remains, say the doctors.

Dietary supplements can bypass digestive system

Supplementing vitamin B12, for example, with a daily-use oral spray, means that the vitamin can be absorbed directly into the bloodstream, bypassing the digestive system, which normally destroys essential nutrients with strong enzymes and acids. (As)