Researchers in the UK have found that doses of vitamin B complex may slow the onset of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), an early sign of degenerative dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

In a clinical trial, scientists discovered that large amounts of vitamins B6, B12 and folic acid appeared to slow cerebral shrinkage and MCI, both of which are known to contribute to dementia.

Gustavo Roman, the director of the Alzheimer and Dementia Center at the Methodist Neurological Institute in Houston, Texas, said that patients who had high blood levels of homocysteine responded particularly well to the treatment.

Previous studies have associated excess homocysteine in the body with the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.

While clinicians warned that the vitamin therapy may not work for all mature adults, they remained confident that further research into vitamin B’s role in delaying dementia may result in more effective treatments for Alzheimer’s.

In the U.S., 5.3 million people have Alzheimer’s disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.