Alzheimer’s disease entails the continuous deterioration of mental abilities and unfortunately there is no effective treatment at present. The exact causes of the disease are yet unknown but supposedly the accumulated beta-amyloid plaques in the brain are responsible for its development – these, however, are also present in the system of healthy people. Therapies targeting amyloid plaques have been completely unsuccessful so far. What’s more, recently it’s come to light that the results of one of the most significant studies in the field have been manipulated. (1) Understandably, more and more scientists are trying to find other solutions.

Since the disease takes decades to develop and only manifests itself in old age its root causes cannot be efficiently tested on people. A group of American scientists who were testing the genetic causes of the disease on threadworms observed by a lucky accident that one group of threadworms was able to retain the ability of motion much longer than the others.

The experiment was repeated several times and they looked for the cause of the phenomenon for years until they found it: the worms with the slowed down course of the disease obtained more vitamin B12 through their diet. The results of the study were published in 2021. (2)

Although initially the genetic causes of the disease were the focus of their research, in the end the scientists directed their attention completely to the investigation of the connection between Alzheimer’s disease and vitamin B12. Employing animal models, they successfully proved that vitamin B12 significantly slowed paralysis caused by Alzheimer’s, reduced oxidative stress and increased the energy level of the animals. Vitamin B12 only improved the condition of animals with deficiency ad it was completely unrelated to the accumulation of beta-amyloid plaques.

Based on observational studies the deterioration of cognitive skills and the risk of Alzheimer’s disease is connected to the level of vitamin B12 in humans as well. (3) Unfortunately, the older a person the more often vitamin B12 deficiency occurs. A study published in 2022 also gives a detailed report on the many qualities of vitamin B12 that have a protective effect against Alzheimer’s disease. (4)