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Alzheimer's: Vitamin B supplementation could slow aging of neurons

 

  • Ageing can cause cognitive decline due to changes that happen in our brain cells; however, it is not clear how much of this is intrinsic or due to diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
  • In order to improve energy metabolism in the brain, a group of scientists looked at the effect of supplementing a group of adults with a form of vitamin B3.
  • The researchers found that the supplement nicotinamide riboside was converted into a molecule involved in energy metabolism in neurons.
  • They also observed a small but significant decrease in the levels of amyloid beta protein in neurons, following supplementation.

Niacin – Vitamin B3

A range of foods high in Niacin (or Vitamin B3) including legumes, nuts, seeds, carrots, chicken, avocado, eggs, grains, broccoli

Niacin, or vitamin B3, is a water-soluble B vitamin found naturally in some foods, added to foods, and sold as a supplement. The two most common forms of niacin in food and supplements are nicotinic acid and nicotinamide. The body can also convert tryptophan—an amino acid—to nicotinamide. Niacin is water-soluble so that excess amounts the body does not need are excreted in the urine. Niacin works in the body as a coenzyme, with more than 400 enzymes dependent on it for various reactions. Niacin helps to convert nutrients into energy, create cholesterol and fats, create and repair DNA, and exert antioxidant effects.

Food Sources

A niacin deficiency is rare because it is found in many foods, both from animals and plants.

Many B vitamins are thought to help increase energy, including niacin. Because niacin is water-soluble (less risk of building up in the body to a toxic level), many people don’t think twice about taking a supplement that may contain 100 times the RDA for the vitamin. Although niacin assists several enzymes in converting food into ATP, a form of energy, taking doses well beyond the RDA will not offer a special boost in energy levels. Eating a balanced diet with a variety of foods is often all that is needed to obtain niacin’s energy-boosting benefit.

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Read more here 

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/alzheimers-vitamin-b-supplementation-could-slow-aging-of-neurons

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