Vitamin B3 curbs memory loss in mice, study shows

High doses of an over-the-counter vitamin has prevented some memory loss in mice with Alzheimer’s disease, according to a UCI study that appears in the Journal of Neuroscience. Buoyed by the findings, scientists are moving to test its effects in humans.

Nicotinamide, a form of vitamin B3, helped lower levels of a protein that produces “tangles,” one sign of Alzheimer’s in the brain, according to the study led by UCI scientist Kim Green. The vitamin also helped bolster the path of information through brain cells, helping to keep them alive and prevent symptoms.

Mice with Alzheimer’s that were fed the vitamin performed just as well on mazes and object recognition tests as those who didn’t have the disease, according to the study. Those with the disease and no vitamin did significantly worse. Green is also affiliated with the Institute for Brain Aging and Dementia, which is conducting a clinical trial on humans. The institute is looking for volunteers older than 50 with Alzheimer’s. For more information, call (949) 824-5733.

— Michael Alexander