Posted on 02/24/2025 6:19:34 AM PST by Red Badger
Your brain might not be getting enough B12 — even if your levels are considered “normal.”
A new study suggests that older adults with lower B12, even within the accepted range, show signs of cognitive decline and brain damage. Researchers found that these individuals had slower thinking and reaction times, along with white matter lesions linked to dementia.
Normal B12 Levels Still Linked to Brain Deficiency
Getting the recommended amount of vitamin B12 is essential for making DNA, red blood cells, and nerve tissue. But new research suggests that meeting the minimum requirement may not be enough — especially for older adults. In fact, having lower B12 levels, even within the normal range, could increase the risk of cognitive impairment.
A study led by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco found that healthy older adults with lower B12 levels showed signs of neurological and cognitive decline. These individuals had more damage to the brain’s white matter — the nerve fibers that enable different parts of the brain to communicate — and performed worse on tests measuring cognitive and visual processing speeds compared to those with higher B12 levels.
The study was published in Annals of Neurology on February 10.
Rethinking B12 Guidelines for Brain Health
Senior study author Dr. Ari J. Green, from UCSF’s Departments of Neurology and Ophthalmology and the Weill Institute for Neurosciences, says the findings raise concerns about current B12 recommendations.
“Previous studies that defined healthy amounts of B12 may have missed subtle functional manifestations of high or low levels that can affect people without causing overt symptoms,” said Green, noting that clear deficiencies of the vitamin are commonly associated with a type of anemia. “Revisiting the definition of B12 deficiency to incorporate functional biomarkers could lead to earlier intervention and prevention of cognitive decline.”
Lower B12 Correlates with Slower Processing Speeds, Brain Lesions
In the study, researchers enrolled 231 healthy participants without dementia or mild cognitive impairment, whose average age was 71. They were recruited through the Brain Aging Network for Cognitive Health (BrANCH) study at UCSF.
Their blood B12 amounts averaged 414.8 pmol/L, well above the U.S. minimum of 148 pmol/L. Adjusted for factors like age, sex, education, and cardiovascular risks, researchers looked at the biologically active component of B12, which provides a more accurate measure of the amount of the vitamin that the body can utilize. In cognitive testing, participants with lower active B12 were found to have slower processing speed, relating to subtle cognitive decline. Its impact was amplified by older age. They also showed significant delays responding to visual stimuli, indicating slower visual processing speeds and generally slower brain conductivity.
Cognitive Decline Could Affect More People Than Expected
MRIs revealed a higher volume of lesions in the participants’ white matter, which may be associated with cognitive decline, dementia or stroke.
While the study volunteers were older adults, who may have a specific vulnerability to lower levels of B12, co-first author Alexandra Beaudry-Richard, MSc, said that these lower levels could “impact cognition to a greater extent than what we previously thought, and may affect a much larger proportion of the population than we realize.” Beaudry-Richard is currently completing her doctorate in research and medicine at the UCSF Department of Neurology and the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Ottawa.
Rethinking B12 Deficiency and Supplementation
“In addition to redefining B12 deficiency, clinicians should consider supplementation in older patients with neurological symptoms even if their levels are within normal limits,” she said. “Ultimately, we need to invest in more research about the underlying biology of B12 insufficiency, since it may be a preventable cause of cognitive decline.”
Reference:
“Vitamin B12 Levels Association with Functional and Structural Biomarkers of Central Nervous System Injury in Older Adults”
by Alexandra Beaudry-Richard, Ahmed Abdelhak, Rowan Saloner, Simone Sacco, Shivany C. Montes, Frederike C. Oertel, Christian Cordano, Nour Jabassini, Kirtana Ananth, Apraham Gomez, Azeen Keihani, Makenna Chapman, Sree Javvadi, Shikha Saha, Adam Staffaroni, Christopher Songster, Martin Warren, John W. Boscardin, Joel Kramer, Bruce Miller, Joshua W. Miller, Ralph Green and Ari J. Green, 10 February 2025,Annals of Neurology.
DOI: 10.1002/ana.27200
Authors: Co-first author is Ahmed Abdelhak, MD, PhD, of the UCSF Department of Neurology and the Weill Institute for Neurosciences. For a full list of authors, please see the study.
Funding and Disclosures: Westridge Foundation and the Canadian Institutes of Health and Research. There are no conflicts of interest to report.
B12 is an extremely complicated issue.
Here is a starter article
https://www.mcpiqojournal.org/article/S2542-4548(19)30033-5/fulltext
I had a blood test that came back with segmented neutrophils. I would not have known this if I had not got a copy of the tests. My B-12 is at the “accepted” level of US Norms. Pathologist had recommended expansive B-12 testing but I guess Doctor missed that note because it wasn’t ordered.
I got the B-12 shots with arsenic in it which is what is given in the US. I think I need the version given in other countries.
But the point to my post is there are a lot of genetic factors that go into this..such as defects in the MTHFR gene
There is A LOT of discussion about B-12 on reddit. I found it helpful in trying to figure out what B-12 version would be right for me.
I have problems with dizziness and have gone through more testing than a great many of you due to rare issues. Mega dosing with b-12 helps me when I start getting more episodes of this but it is not directly related to b-12 issue. It just helps. Some B-12 is not right for me and that is due to genetic reasons. I red flag on my genetic tests for problems processing b-12.
These issues are far too advanced for my Doctors to understand so I had to try to figure this out myself.
Not one single Doctor figured out that I have calcified ligaments in my neck. Even radiologists missed it. It took a dentist who had seen it before to figure one of my problems and a neuroradiologist who knew what he was doing.
Tapeworms and other parasites in the body compete for the B-12 and can also create a B-12 deficiency that can lead to Megaloblastic anemia.
Megaloblastic anemia is a type of vitamin deficiency anemia that happens when you don’t get enough vitamin B12 and/or vitamin B9 (folate). It causes red blood cells to not fully develop causing hypoxia..
Have you been schooled in B12? Classes now forming.
Or you need a different version of b-12 because of your genetic makeup - or it could be heart attack and genetics.
In my experiment with trying to find out what B-12 would work for me there was one that did cause chest pain and other heart related issues. Although, because I have silent reflux perhaps it was the b-12 reacting to that in addition to other things.
Silent Reflux can cause chest pain.
Right now I am trying out liquid B-12.
I don’t remember what I was trying last time I wore a heart monitor but this time I was pressing the button on it a lot less.
Did they give you Gabapentin? It is a neural blocker. Doesn’t solve the problem, but gives some relief.
bttt
I’m puzzled as to why they don’t sell an enteric coated B-12 tablet.
I think I just explained the absorption process in my previous post.
=:-)
WARNINGS about B12
ConsumerLab.com notes that a large study in the Netherlands found that people age 65 and older who took 500 mcg of B12 and 400 mcg of folic acid daily for 2 to 3 yrs. had a 77% higher risk of colorectal cancer than those in the placebo group, and an overall cancer rate 15% higher than those in the placebo group.
A study of middle-aged men found that those with B12 blood levels above 455 pg/mL had an 85% higher risk of dying over the next 8 years, compared to men with blood levels below 339 pg/mL.
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2758742
(A paid subscription to ConsumerLab.com is required for access to all their detailed data and ratings of supplements, which can be very helpful.)
And how does one obtain such a shot?
Great advice, thank you!
I’m not much of a drinker, so good there. I also don’t take antacids, so good there too.
My older sister has been getting B-12 shots monthly for a few years. It helps her depression some, but not much. (She’s really bipolar, but, to my knowledge, only sees her general practitioner, so she’s not being treated for bipolar, just depression.)
Just a few weeks ago, her husband was found to have low B-12 levels, so now he’s going to start getting the injections also.
From AI...
“The effectiveness of oral vitamin B12 compared to injected B12 has been a topic of research, and here’s what the findings suggest:
Similar Effectiveness: Low-quality evidence indicates that oral and intramuscular (IM) vitamin B12 can have similar effects in normalizing serum vitamin B12 levels.
Dosage Matters: Some studies show that high-dose oral B12 (around 2,000 mcg per day) can be more effective than intramuscular injections of 1,000 mcg per day for increasing vitamin B12 levels.
Neurologic and Hematologic Response: Research indicates that high-dose oral B12 is as effective as IM injections in achieving neurologic and hematologic responses.
Compliance: Oral supplementation can be just as effective as injections, provided there is adequate compliance with the dosage.
In summary, while both methods can be effective, oral B12 may offer a more convenient and cost-effective option for many people. “
B12 only does the body good when injected
That’s what I was taught, but apparently it’s not so. Here’s a study about it:
https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2022/0600/p663.html
With so much garbage supplements out there, what is the best oral way to get the b12 ?
Brand ?
Some of what I see that lists the b12 ingredient also lists some xxx acid supplements in the same tablet.
I read that many a time the acid is what destroys b12 in the stomach.
Real don’t trust anything anymore.
That AI article is total BS as there are normally additional factors that require injections.
The topic is complex and an AI summary is dangerous.
It’s like saying that drinking water is better than an IV for increasing fluid in the body.
While generally true, there are specific reasons for an IV.
Bkmk
I have that for pain for Eagle Syndrome. I take a low dose. It does help
Take a daily pill.
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