Vitamin B12 Deficiency can Look Identical to Alzheimer's Disease

Wednesday, November 11, 2009 by: Kerri Knox, RN
Tags: vitamin B12, health news, Natural News

(NewsTarget) When is Alzheimer`s Disease NOT Alzheimer`s Disease? When it`s actually caused by undiagnosed Vitamin B12 deficiency. This frequent occurrence is a tragedy in our society where growing numbers of those with Alzheimer`s Disease are diagnosed every year. Despite having IDENTICAL symptoms in many cases, vitamin B12 deficiency is almost NEVER considered as a possible cause.

Alzheimer`s Disease is a growing personal and family problem as well as a HUGE financial burden for society. And with over 4 million people in the US alone who have been diagnosed with this 'incurable' disease, Alzheimer`s Disease is becoming an ever growing crisis. Governments around the world are attempting to combat this problem by spending millions of dollars every year on research for drugs, stem cell treatment, genetic manipulation and pharmaceuticals- yet nothing has been found to effectively stop or slow its insidious spread. However, doctors in clinical practice are completely overlooking a SIMPLE cause of this problem that could stop the disease in its tracks. The scientific evidence is VERY CLEAR that the symptoms of Alzheimer`s Disease could be RADICALLY improved in many cases if a trial of high dose vitamin B12 were instituted soon after diagnosis.

"Alzheimer`s associated dementia
and patients with cobalamin deficiency
have identical neuropsychiatric symptoms"
`Dementia Associated With Vitamin B12 Deficiency/

Vitamin B12 deficiency, also called cobalamin deficiency, becomes more and more common as people get older and some researchers estimate that over 800,000 elderly in the US have undiagnosed deficiency. Yet because few clinicians are trained to look for its symptoms, many elderly who SHOULD be screened for this simple vitamin deficiency are, instead, diagnosed with `incurable` neurologic diseases. These mental changes from vitamin B12 deficiency were first described as far back as 1902, with much research having been done since that time. Many times, these changes are accompanied by lesions and degeneration of the brain and spinal cord on medical imaging that doctors use as evidence of the Irreversible nature of this disease. Astoundingly, when these degenerative changes are caused by Vitamin B12 Deficiency, they are actually REVERSIBLE if high dose therapy is started soon after diagnosis!

"Fortunately, dementia secondary to B12 deficiency
is eminently reversible if the etiology of the dementia
is recognized early and therapy instituted promptly and vigorously"
`Dementia and vitamin B12 deficiency`

Not only is medical imaging worthless in determining which cases will benefit from Vitamin B12 therapy, but blood testing has little value either. Since the 1950's, several studies have shown that cases of dementia that respond well to vitamin B12 therapy often have completely normal Vitamin B12 blood tests. Yet 50 years later, doctors still rely EXCLUSIVELY on blood testing and medical imaging to determine the need for Vitamin B12 therapy. These studies are clearly showing that a trial regimen of high dose vitamin B12 is absolutely warranted with cases of new onset dementia regardless of the results of medical testing. Yet modern medicine is simply NOT paying attention, and this extraordinarily safe therapy that costs less than $100 is virtually NEVER instituted. As a result, Alzheimer`s patients who COULD have benefited if B12 therapy were instituted soon after diagnosis are left with no memory and no hope.

Resources:

1) http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/pagerender....

2) http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/picrender.f...

3) http://www.easy-immune-health.com/mental-cha...

About the author

Kerri Knox, RN is a Registered Nurse and Functional Medicine Practitioner.
With over 14 years of experience in health care, she has the unique perspective of being solidly grounded in Conventional Medicine and being well versed in Alternative Medicine.
She can help you to to find and repair the UNDERLYING CAUSES of illness using cutting edge in home lab testing that finds nutritional deficiencies, hidden infections and chemical and metal toxicities that contribute to ill health.
She can be reached through her websites at:
Easy Immune System Health.com
Side Effects Site