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 Taking vitamin C and E supplements seems to offer protection against loss of mental function caused by small-scale strokes, a common problem in the elderly.
"This preliminary but exciting information suggests regular use of vitamins C and E, though they may not prevent strokes, may reduce small strokes' harmful impact on the brain," says Lon White, MD, an author of the study published in the March 28 issue of Neurology. White is a professor in the School of Nursing at the University of Hawaii and senior neuro-epidemiologist at the Pacific Health Research Institute in Honolulu.
The researchers looked at data from more than 3,000 Japanese-American men, aged 71 to 93. In 1982, about a third of them were asked if they were taking vitamins C and E, while in 1988 all of them were asked about vitamin usage. From 1991 to 1993, the researchers used a 15- to 20-minute test to see how well these men were functioning mentally.
"Those who were taking vitamin supplements in 1988 had a 20% chance of better [mental] functioning four years later," says Kamal Masaki, MD, lead author of the article. "Those who were taking vitamins in both 1982 and 1988, the people we call the long-term users, had a 75% greater chance of better mental performance."
The researchers looked at vascular dementia, which is a loss of mental function occurring from multiple strokes. "We found those who were taking both vitamins C and E in 1988 were 88% less likely to develop this condition four years later, which is quite a significant decrease," Masaki says.
Source: WebMD Public Infomation
Image provided by: Open Door Network
Author: Elaine Sablocki |
