(Health.com) -- People who consume lots of foods rich in vitamin B12 -- such as fish and fortified cereals -- may be at lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease than people who take in less of the vitamin, a small study conducted in Finland suggests. In the study, which was published in Neurology, researchers in Scandinavia analyzed blood samples from 271 individuals ages 65 to 79 who showed no evidence of dementia. The researchers tested for levels of a blood marker of vitamin B12 and for levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that has been linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease (as well as heart disease and stroke).
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People who consume foods rich in vitamin B12 may be at lower risk of developing Alzheimer's
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B vitamins may help lower homocysteine levels, an amino acid linked to the disease
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Alzheimer's disease risk could be minimized with general good nutrition
The links among Alzheimer's risk, homocysteine, and @placeholder were more pronounced in older individuals, the study found.