University of Oxford researchers discovered that vitamin B12 found in meat, fish, fortified cereals and milk might help prevent memory loss in old people. More exactly, low levels of this vitamin might cause brain atrophy or shrinkage.

Vitamin B12 is crucial to the formation of red blood cells and the maintenance of a healthy nervous system.

For the study, Anna Vogiatzoglou, MSc and colleagues analyzed 107 people aged 61 to 87 who were declared cognitively normal at the beginning of the study. They underwent annual clinical exams, MRI scans, cognitive tests and had blood samples taken. They were followed for five years.

When comparing results, the researchers found that individuals with lower vitamin B12 levels had a greater decrease in brain volume. Moreover, those with the lowest levels had a six fold greater rate of brain volume loss compared with those who had the highest levels of the vitamin.

“Many factors that affect brain health are thought to be out of our control, but this study suggests that simply adjusting our diets to get more vitamin B12 through eating meat, fish, fortified cereals, or milk may be something we can easily adjust to prevent brain shrinkage and so perhaps save our memory,” Vogiatzoglou said.

Dr Susanne Sorensen, from the Alzheimer's Society, also supported the idea saying that it is “crucial for people to lead a healthy lifestyle with a balanced diet rich in B vitamins and antioxidants.”

The study was published in the journal Neurology.