Home | Health | Health Capsules | Hypovitaminosis A in Mothers May Up Alzheimer’s Risk in Babies

Sections

Newsletter
Email:
Poll: Like Our New Look?
Do you like our new look & feel?

Hypovitaminosis A in Mothers May Up Alzheimer’s Risk in Babies

Font size: Decrease font Enlarge font

It is evident from various studies that vitamin A is helpful in re-epithalization of damaged tissues. In a study the researchers warned that babies whose mothers do not take adequate Vitamin A nutrients during their pregnancy may be at an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, even from the womb or just after birth. The findings of the study showed that even a mild Vitamin A deficiency increased the production of amyloid beta - the protein that forms plaques that smother and ultimately kill neurons in Alzheimer’s disease. In the study it has been shown that marginal deficiency of Vitamin A, even as early as in pregnancy, has a detrimental effect on brain development and has long-lasting effect that may facilitate Alzheimer’s disease in later life.

The experts examined the effects of Vitamin A deprivation in the womb and infancy on Alzheimer’s model mice. Even when the mice deprived of Vitamin A in the womb were given a normal diet, they performed worse than mice that received nutrients in the womb but were deprived after birth. The damage had already been done. Yet, the study showed that some reversal is possible. Mice that were deprived in utero but then given supplements immediately after birth performed better in the tests than mice that weren’t given such supplements.

References

Zeng J., et al., 2017, “Marginal vitamin A deficiency facilitates Alzheimer’s pathogenesis,” Acta Neuropathologica; 133(6): 967-982. [Web Reference]

Rate this article
5.00