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Got Milk? It May Fight Alzheimer's

Drink is great source of key vitamin B12

By Matt Cantor, Newser Staff

Posted Mar 1, 2009 5:31 PM CST

(Newser) – Two glasses of milk a day could help prevent brain-deteriorating diseases like Alzheimer’s, scientists at Oxford have found. Milk, they observed, is an excellent source of vitamin B12, which experts believe helps protect nerve cells; elderly people with low B12 levels experience twice the brain shrinkage of those with high levels, the Daily Telegraph reports.

“Our study shows that consuming around half a liter of milk or more per day, and it can be skimmed milk, could take someone who has marginal levels of B12 into the safe range,” says a researcher. “But even drinking just two glasses a day can protect against having low levels.”

[Images (2)]

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Two glasses of milk a day could be enough to fight dementia, a researcher says. (Shutterstock)

Milk is a key source of vitamin B12, scientists found. (Shutterstock)

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We need to do more clinical studies on vitamin B12 before we can start offering advice, but until then prudence would suggest adopting a healthy lifestyle and a diet that is high in vitamin B12. - Prof. David Smith, Oxford Project to Investigate Memory and Ageing

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Got Milk? It May Fight Alzheimer's