Are you getting enough vitamin B12? Having an adequate amount of this nutrient is important for brain health as we age, a new small study shows.

Reporting in the latest issue of the journal Neurology, researchers said that participants in their study with lower levels of vitamin B12 had smaller brain sizes and difficulties with thinking skills, according to Health Day News.

Scientists tested the 121 participants’ B12 levels, including in blood metabolites that are markers for B12 activity in tissues. They were also given MRI scans and cognitive function tests.

While most people have adequate amounts of vitamin B12, which comes from animal-derived foods, older people can have trouble absorbing it. Also, medications can inhibit absorption, including proton pump inhibitors used to reduce stomach acid and the diabetes drug metformin.

To read the complete Health Day News story, Go Here.