Do you take vitamin supplements as part of your daily diet? If so, are you getting enough vitamin B complex? This group of nutrients can be rather mysterious, both in its origins in certain foods and in its effects within the body. While vitamin B9, or folate, is relatively well known for its place in prenatal healthcare, B12 is less popularly understood, even though a new study suggests that the nutrient contributes to brain health.

Research published in the journal Neurology announced that elderly adults who are vitamin B12-deficient have a higher risk of brain shrinkage and poor memory skills. The authors based these conclusions on an investigation conducted among more than 120 residents of the south end of Chicago.

The team measured each participant’s blood levels of vitamin B12, then used MRI scanning to measure volunteers’ brain volumes four and a half years later.

All told, those who had the most bloodborne biomarkers for B12 deficiency displayed smaller brain volumes and scored worse on cognitive memory tests. Researchers concluded that the nutrient appears to be associated with the preservation of good brain health later in life.