Higher Nutrients Support Brain Health

Bowman and associates reported in the Neurology journal that certain vitamins, either in the diet or as supplements, reduce brain shrinkage with age. In the study, 104 men and women with an average age of 87 were tested for a wide variety of nutrients and 42 had MRIs to measure brain size.

High blood levels of the B vitamins, C, D, E and omega-3 fats were associated with better cognitive function, memory and brain size. We had learned this about vitamin D and DHA in multiple studies but none with MRI confirmation. Fifteen years ago a major study correlated larger brain size and lower incidence of dementia in French nuns who had high B vitamin levels, in addition to the fact that D and DHA protect chromosomes from shrinkage.

You might wonder why an ophthalmologist is interested in this…besides wanting people to live longer, and have healthier lives, these same nutrients have been shown in multiple studies over the years to support eye health.