Vitamin B12, Prevagen, and Other Natural Approaches to Alzheimer's Prevention

I stumbled upon a reference to a study published in the Nov. 1, 2007 edition of American Journal of Clinical Nutrition titled, "Low vitamin B-12 status and risk of cognitive decline in older adults." I've seen B12 discussed on this site and I've reviewed a book on the vitamin. A post on OurAlzheimer's about this subject has been brewing for awhile, and this reference pushed me forward.

Another push to write about steps toward naturally occurring health resources came with my discovery of the product Prevagen. Prevagen is the brand name given to the calcium binding protein aequorin. Research done by Quincy Bioscience on aequorin, a protein derived from jellyfish, shows aequorin slows the brain's aging process and may help stave off dementia and/or brain damage from strokes.

I am always interested in research being done with vitamins, minerals and other elements already existing on earth. Since most of these elements can't be patented, many drug companies are not going to find them financially friendly; therefore drug companies aren't apt to be researching a vitamin.

We need all of the drug research possible, and I'm all for drug research, but we also need people devoted to alternative methods. We need to attack dementia from every angle. While it's wonderful to think there will soon be one magic bullet to prevent or cure dementia, likely, first - and maybe always - there will be different approaches that help different people. I believe keeping an open mind can benefit us all.

With that said, I'd like to spotlight two books that can give any of you interested in more information on this research. One is Could it be B12? By Sally M. Pacholok, R.N. and Jeffrey J. Stuart, D.O. The book is published by Quill Driver Books (2005).

The other is Gift from the Sea: How a Protein from Jellyfish Fights the Aging Process by Mark Y. Underwood, president of Quincy Bioscience who has a BA in psychology (neurochemistry) from the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, where Quincy Bioscience is based. The book is published by Authorhouse (2007). Their Web site is http://www.quincybioscience.com/.

If nothing else, I think you will find this information very interesting. Talking to your doctor about more substantial tests for low B12 levels, or trying a month of jellyfish oil may be part of your research. At any rate, I was fascinated by these books, both of which refer to numerous studies that pass scientific scrutiny. Both are available on Amazon.com.

Here's to research - of all kinds.

For more information about Carol go to www.mindingourelders.com or www.mindingoureldersblogs.com.