Summary
This paper by Smith and colleagues, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2018, reviews the evidence linking vitamin B12 and folate nutritional status to cognitive function and decline. It likely addresses the role of homocysteine as a mediating biomarker and considers implications for dietary adequacy, supplementation, and dementia prevention. The paper contributes to ongoing debate about whether improving B-vitamin status can meaningfully slow cognitive ageing.
UK applicability
The findings are broadly applicable to UK public health, given documented concerns about vitamin B12 insufficiency in older adults and vegans within the UK population, and ongoing policy discussions around folate fortification and dementia prevention strategies.
Key measures
Serum vitamin B12 (pmol/L); plasma folate (nmol/L); homocysteine concentration (µmol/L); cognitive test scores; dementia incidence
Outcomes reported
The study examined associations between vitamin B12 and folate status and cognitive outcomes, likely including measures of cognitive function, decline, or dementia risk across population groups.
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