Tuna and Eggs Keep Your Brain Big... Stop Shrinkage from Age Through B12

As if wrinkles weren’t bad enough, turns out our brains tend to shrivel as we age, too. Could eggs and tuna be the key to less shrinkage? 

Research makes it seem so. Why? Because both tuna and eggs are good sources of vitamin B12. And B12 may help keep brain atrophy in check. 

How Low Is Low?
In a 5-year study, people in their 60s and beyond who were low -- but not deficient -- on B12 were three to six times more likely to have brain atrophy than did people on the higher end of the normal B12 range. So being even a little low may be bad. Make sure you’re getting enough by taking a supplement or eating B12-rich foods -- like eggs and tuna. 

Why Bigger Is Better
Brain shrinkage is commonly seen in people with Alzheimer’s disease, and more and more research points to a connection between cognitive function and B12 levels. So that may explain the connection with brain shrinkage. B vitamins may help ward off stroke, too. 

Want to give your brain a workout?  Boost your verbal dexteity and exercise your mind with word and number games, crossword puzzles, and engaging & provoking conversation.

Vitamin B12, also called cobalamin, is a water-soluble vitamin. Water-soluble vitamins are stored in the body in very limited amounts and are excreted through the urine. Therefore, it is a good idea to have them in your daily diet. Vitamin B12, the most complex of the vitamins, contains the metal ion, cobalt, in its structure.

Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency include the following:

• Pernicious or megaloblastic anemia
• Numbness and tingling of the arms or legs
• Difficulty walking
• Fatigue
• Sore tongue
• Loss of appetite
• Constipation
• Memory loss
• Disorientation
• Moodiness
• Damage to the myelin sheath, the protective covering around nerves
• Dementia

Here are tips to help increase your intake of vitamin B12:

• Rub a little olive oil, squeeze a bit of fresh lemon, and crack some black pepper and salt on a fresh piece of salmon. Grill on the barbeque or broil it in the oven.
• Have a bowl of fortified, high-fiber breakfast cereal in the morning.
• Mix canned tuna with some olive oil, white beans, and salt and pepper. Enjoy with some whole wheat crackers.
• For an afternoon snack, try a cup of yogurt. Jazz it up with some sliced fresh fruit or crunchy granola.
• Skewer large shrimp with mushrooms, tomatoes, onion, and zucchini. Brush on a marinade and toss on the barbeque.
• If you take a multivitamin/mineral supplement, make sure that it contains B12.

Major Food Sources

(Be Aware That Some of These Foods May Have Other Risks)

Food	Serving size	Vitamin B12 content  (mcg)
Clams, steamed	3 oz	84
Beef liver, cooked	3 oz	60
Mussels, steamed	3 oz	20.4
Fortified breakfast cereal	¾ cup	6
Rainbow trout, cooked	3 oz	5.3
Salmon, cooked	3 oz	4.9
Beef, cooked	3 oz	2.1
Milk	1 cup	0.9
Yogurt	1 cup	0.9
Egg	1 large	0.5
Brie cheese	1 oz	0.5
American cheese	1 oz	0.4
Chicken, roasted	3 oz	0.3

Related Articles:  Why You Don't Want to Run Low on Vitamin B12