A new study suggests that vitamin B3, also known as nicotinamide, may help to protect the brain from the effects of Alzheimer's disease. Also, it can help to improve the memories of people not afflicted with the disease.
Researchers at the University of California, Irvine, treated mice with or without Alzheimer's disease with water containing vitamin B3. Results show that treated mice had considerably lower levels of phosphorylated tau, a protein component of neurofibrillary tangles. Neurofibrillary tangles are a major characteristic of Alzheimer's disease. Nicotinamide also helped with the stability of microtubules, the scaffolding within brain cells along which signals travel.
Both types of mice (with and without Alzheimer's disease) also performed better on memory tests after treatment with vitamin B3, suggesting that the vitamin may help with memory retention in Alzheimer's patients and may boost memory of people without the disease.
Clinical trials have already been put in motion.

SOURCE: Green KN, Steffan JS, Martinez-Coria H, Sun X, Schreiber SS, Thompson LM, LaFerla FM. Nicotinamide Restores Cognition in Alzheimer's Disease Transgenic Mice via a Mechanism Involving Sirtuin Inhibition and Selective Reduction of Thr231-Phosphotau. The Journal of Neuroscience. 2008;28:11500-11510.
News release: Vitamin B3 thwarts memory loss in Alzheimer's mice. University of California - Irvine. November 6th 2008.

My Views

In addition to Vitamin B3, make sure you have adequate vitamin B12 in the body. B-12 helps maintain red blood cells and nerve cells as well as protect against a variety of conditions. It is also needed to make DNA. It reduces homocysteine, an amino acid that is now known to promote atherosclerosis. Deficiency of Vitamin B produces symptoms similar to Alzheimer's disease. It is naturally found in animal foods such as meat, poultry, and dairy products, most of which should be taken in moderation in an anti-aging diet. In addition, people over the age of 50 may have decreased stomach acid, which makes it difficult to separate the B-12 which is bound to proteins listed above. Vegans are especially vulnerable to deficiency and should take supplementation. Vitamin B-12 is non-toxic, so daily intake orally or by injection is not a problem. Vitamin B12 also boosts energy supply. A good anti-aging dose is 500 - 1000 mcg of Vitamin B12 a day. Vitamin B12 is water soluble.

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