Dietary Vitamins B, Folic Acid and Cognitive Impairment in the Elderly
Year: 2011
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Vitamin B1 and B6 may play vital roles in the functioning of nervous system, and low plasma levels of vitamin B12 and folic acid have been linked with higher homocysteine level and deterioration of cognitive functioning. This cross-sectional study was designed to investigate the relationship between dietary intake of vitamin B1, B6, B12, folic acid and the presence of cognitive impairment in the elderly. A total of 27 participants from a nursing home in Jakarta participated in the study. Daily intake levels of vitamin B1, B6, B12, and folic acid was obtained using Semiquantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (SFFQ), while cognitive functioning of the participants was determined using Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE). Age, sex, education, body mass index, and macronutrients intake were not associated with the presence of cognitive impairment. Higher intake of vitamin B6 was associated with lower incidence of cognitive impairment (p=0.016). No association between vitamin B1 (p=0.138), B12 (p=0.490), and folic acid (p=0.146) intake level and the presence of cognitive impairment was found. Higher intake of vitamin B6 may be protective against cognitive impairment caused by aging, prompting further study concernng beneficial effects of vitamin B6. Beneficial effects of vitamin B12 and folic acid intake in the prevention of cognitive impairment remain unproven. Keywords: vitamin B6, vitamin B12, folic acid, cognition, elderly
Institution: University of Indonesia
Language: English
Subfield: Nutrition and Dietetics
Field: Nursing
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W1540565785