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Tuna and Eggs Keep Your Brain Big
This Week's Tips
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. Use this tool to find other foods that are high in B12.
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. Here's how.
Want to give your brain a workout? Boost your verbal dexterity with this word game that involves speed, strategy, and vocabulary.
RealAge Benefit:
Getting 25 micrograms of vitamin B12 from a supplement can make your RealAge 0.6 years younger.
Vitamin B12 status and rate of brain volume loss in community-dwelling elderly. Vogiatzoglou, A. et al., Neurology 2008 Sep 9;71(11):826-832.
