Vitamin B6, B9, and B12 Intakes and Cognitive Performance in Elders: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2011–2014

Abstract

Purpose: This research intended to investigate vitamin B6, B9, and B12 consumption in relation to the risk of low cognitive performance (LCP) among elderly adults. Patients and Methods: We analyzed data of 2421 participants retrieved from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011–2014 database in this cross-sectional study. Cognitive performance was evaluated by the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s disease (CERAD) word learning and recall modules, the animal fluency test (AF), and the digit symbol substitution test (DSST). Participants who scored the lowest 25th percentile were categorized in the LCP group. The Dietary Interview-Total Nutrient Intakes dataset was used to determine the dietary intake of B vitamins in the participants. The low intake group and adequate intake group were differentiated based on the recommended dietary allowance. Subgroup analyses were conducted to assess the relations between 3 B vitamins and cognitive performance among different sex, race, and age groups. Results: Compared with low vitamin B6 intake (<1.7 mg/day), adequate vitamin B6 intake (≥1.7 mg/day) corresponded to a 31.7% decrease in LCP odds in the DSST tests. Participants who consumed adequate B9 (≥400 mcg/day) were associated with 31.2%, 33.8%, and 46.5% declines in the risk of LCP in the CERAD, AF, and DSST tests in contrast to those having low B9 intake (<400 mcg/day). Adequate vitamin B12 intake (≥2.4 mcg/day) correlated with a lower LCP occurrence in the CERAD, AF, and DSST tests, with 30.5%, 21.5%, and 33.3% reductions, respectively. Further, the relations between 3 B vitamins and cognitive performance varied across different sex, race, and age groups of people. Conclusion: Adequate dietary vitamin B9 and B12 intakes are significantly associated with a better cognitive performance in immediate and delayed memory recall, categorical verbal fluency, processing speed, sustained attention, and working memory among elders assessed in the CERAD, AF, and DSST tests.