|
Antioxidant
Vitamins C and E are
Found to Protect Against Memory Loss
A
new aging study has determined that antioxidant vitamins -- Vitamin
C and Vitamin E -- protect against dementia and can improve brain
function in later life.
In a study
of 3,385 Japanese-American men living in Hawaii, scientists looked
at the health records of men aged 71 to 93 years and ascertained
their use of Vitamin C and Vitamin E.
"We found
that combined Vitamin E and C supplement use was associated with
a reduction of 88 percent in the frequency of subsequent vascular
dementia," or memory loss associated with blood vessels, eight
researchers reported in the medical journal Neurology,
a publication of the American Academy of Neurology.
"In separate
analyses limited to non-demented subjects," they said, "use of
either Vitamin E or C supplements alone ... was associated significantly
with better cognitive test performance ... "
The study,
part of the ongoing Honolulu-Asia Aging Study being conducted
at the University of Hawaii and other locations, suggested that
"long-term use is required to improve cognitive function in late
life."
Citing previous
studies that suggested a combination of Vitamin E and C might
provide more antioxidant effect that either alone, the researchers
said that in their current study "there was a strong interaction
between Vitamin E and C in promoting cognitive performance.
It has been
suggested, they reported, that a higher level of Vitamin C can
increase Vitamin E levels.
"The study
has many strengths," the researchers concluded, pointing out that
the test subjects have been under medical surveillance for more
than 25 years and that participation rates were high.
The study
population, Japanese-American men, is known to have high rates
of stroke. The researchers said their findings supported earlier
studies concluding that antioxidant vitamins can slow progression
of dementia, or memory loss, and recommended a "primary prevention
trial" to examine the potential protective effects of both vascular
dementia and Alzheimer's dementia. No protective effect was found
for Alzheimer's in the current study.
Reference
Source 99
For more information on how to prevent obesity or diabetes, use
PreventDisease.com's "Quick
Prevention Resources".
|
