B12 deficiency promotes plaque formation in the brain
A research team from the SRH Hochschule für Gesundheit and Saarland University has now discovered that a lack of Vitamin B12 might promote plaque formation.
The cell membrane of neurons consists mostly of fats, but also contains proteins. One of them is the amyloid precursor protein, or APP for short, whose function is still unknown. When it is cut up with the help of enzymes, beta-amyloid is formed. Special fats in the cell wall, so-called plasmalogens, seem to prevent too much of it from forming.
However, plasmalogs are particularly sensitive to aggressive oxygen molecules, so-called free radicals, which cause oxidative stress. As larger amounts of amyloid beta fuel oxidative stress, a vicious cycle develops: the protective plasmalogs decrease, which further fuels amyloid beta accumulation.
