A study conducted by researchers from the ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) in Hyderabad and Kamineni Academy of Medical Sciences and Research Centre found that over one-third of the adults assessed showed signs of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The condition was associated with lower levels of several vitamins, including D, B2, B6, and B9.
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The study involved 184 participants aged 55 to 85 years, assessed between January 2024 and March 2025 using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and blood tests for micronutrients and neuronal biomarkers. MCI was identified in 36.4% of these participants.
Individuals with MCI exhibited significantly lower levels of vitamins D, B1, B2, B6, B9, and B12 compared to those without the condition. Specifically, 72% of the MCI group were vitamin D deficient, as opposed to 48% of the non-MCI group. The deficiency rates for vitamin B2 were 63% in the MCI group and 37% in the non-MCI group, whereas vitamin B9 deficiency was recorded at 11% and 2%, respectively. Notable discrepancies were particularly evident for vitamins D, B2, B6, and B9.
Participants with MCI had median vitamin D levels of 16.2 ng/mL, compared to 20.9 ng/mL in those without the condition. For vitamin B2, the levels were 203 nmol/L for the MCI group and 243 nmol/L for non-MCI participants, while B6 levels were 29.6 nmol/L and 38.6 nmol/L, respectively.
The study highlighted that these deficiencies often co-occurred, with nearly 39% of participants with MCI having more than two deficiencies among the six vitamins studied, compared to 19% of those without MCI. Additionally, higher levels of vitamins D, B6, and B9 were associated with better MoCA scores. After accounting for factors such as age, sex, education, BMI, HbA1c, systolic blood pressure, and neuronal markers, higher concentrations of all six vitamins correlated with a lower predicted probability of MCI, particularly for vitamins D and B6.