Low Blood Vitamin C Linked to Smaller Brain Volume in Older Adults
A study of 2,044 older Japanese adults found that lower plasma vitamin C was independently linked to less gray matter relative to head size and weaker default mode network connectivity on 3T MRI. The associations held after adjusting for age, diabetes, blood pressure, smoking, drinking and physical activity. But the design is cross-sectional and observational, so it cannot prove that vitamin C supplements prevent brain shrinkage. Here is what the findings mean, who is most at risk of low levels, and how to reach healthy vitamin C status through food and sensible supplementation.
DHA for the Brain: 12 Months Slowed Hippocampus Shrinkage in MCI
A year of DHA slowed shrinkage of the hippocampus, the brain's memory center, in older adults with mild cognitive impairment. In a 240-person randomized trial from China (219 completers), the DHA group also outperformed placebo on Full-Scale IQ, Information and Digit Span. The dose was a 2 g/day supplement, about 0.9 g of actual DHA. The findings may help explain why omega-3 trials in healthy people have been mixed, since the benefit may be concentrated in those already showing cognitive decline. This article covers the numbers, the likely mechanisms, practical tips on dose and sourcing, and the limits of a single trial.