There may “B” an answer to Alzheimer’s after all–and it might even be something you’re taking right now.

Researchers have found that high levels of three common B vitamins can dramatically slash the brain shrinkage associated with dementia and related conditions.

Naturally, they’re already hoping to sell this to you as a “drug,” but you don’t have to wait for Big Pharma’s blessing–because the ingredients are sitting on the shelf at your local vitamin store right now, and I’ll tell you all about them in a moment.

But first, let’s take a look at this remarkable new study.

Researchers recruited 168 seniors who suffered from mild cognitive impairment and assigned them to either a placebo or TrioBe Plus–a patented blend of vitamin B6, vitamin B12 and folic acid.

After two years, MRI scans revealed that those who had been taking the B vitamin blend had a much slower rate of brain shrinkage: .76 percent of volume per year, versus 1.08 percent in those who were given the placebo, or a difference of 30 percent.

What’s more, patients with the highest blood levels of the inflammation marker homocysteine at the start of the study had a 53 percent reduction in the shrinkage rate, according to the study in PLoS One.

By the way, here’s a humbling piece of trivia: All of our brains are shrinking. Even the healthiest ones lose about half a percent each year. Just a guess, but they may end up in the same place as keys, wallets and left socks.

Now, before you run off to try to slow your own shrinkage with some B vitamins, the researchers behind this study have a warning: Their blend, they say, is a high-dose “drug” and should only be given under the care of a doctor.

But that sounds a lot like patent-protecting greed to me, because one look at the TrioBe Plus ingredients label reveals that these high doses aren’t so high after all: 800 micrograms of folate, 500 micrograms of B12 and 20 milligrams of B6.

They’re high levels in that they exceed the U.S. government’s lowball recommended daily intakes… but not so high that they can’t be found without a prescription. In fact, you can pick them up at almost any supermarket or health food story in those exact amounts.

Since your own needs could vary depending on your age and condition, talk to a naturopathic physician about the best ways to add some B to your regimen now–but don’t be afraid to do it.

And don’t be afraid to start today–before your brain shrinks even more than it already has.

Dementia doesn’t have to come with the territory as you get older–and three new studies show how good habits for your body now can save your mind years later.

And it comes down to three things that should be a big part of your life anyway: vitamin D, tea and exercise, according to the studies presented at a recent Alzheimer’s Association International Conference held in Honolulu.

Let’s start with exercise.

Researchers tracked 1,200 elderly people for 20 years as part of a study on cardiovascular risk. But the researchers also noticed that the 242 patients in the study who developed dementia tended to have something in common: more time on the sofa.

Once they crunched the numbers, the researchers found that the patients who enjoyed the highest levels of physical activity had a 40 percent lower risk for dementia in any form. Those who moved the least, on the other hand, were 45 percent more likely to come down with the mind-robbing condition.

Maybe these folks should have been drinking more tea–because another new study on seniors finds that those who sipped between one and four cups each week had a 37 percent lower risk of dementia than those who drank no tea.

The researchers say coffee didn’t show any benefits except at very high levels of consumption… but don’t let that keep you from your daily cup of mud, because other studies have found that caffeine can slow the production of amyloid-beta, an amino acid found in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. (Read, “Drink to beat dementia.”)

And in the third new study, researchers confirm something I’ve told you about before: Vitamin D can lower your risk of dementia–and a D deficiency can increase it dramatically. (Read, “Vitamin D can beat cognitive decline.”)

Researchers looked at data on 3,325 American seniors and found that those who had low levels of D were 42 percent more likely to suffer from cognitive impairment.

But wait–this one gets even worse. Those who were severely deficient in D had a 394 percent increased risk. And millions of us are severely deficient in D.

You might even be one of them.

But you can kill two birds with one stone here by getting a little exercise out under the sun, where your body can make its own vitamin D as you work up a sweat, burn some calories and get your blood pumping.

In addition to slashing your risk of dementia, that all-natural vitamin D can also keep your bones strong and lower your risk for any number of diseases, including diabetes and cancer. It may also boost your immune system, and it could even help you live longer.

Then, after a little exercise and a little sun, complete the trifecta by kicking back with a cup of antioxidant-rich tea. Green tea in particular has been linked to everything from longevity to cancer prevention.

Most people make a critical mistake when they use common over-the-counter medications.

They assume these drugs are safe.

Fact is, most of them are not – many are a lot more dangerous than you’ve been led to believe.

Take this latest study, which finds that a common ingredient in many OTC meds can harm the brains of seniors.

University of Indiana researchers found that diphenhydramine, which is used in some of the most popular cold, allergy, pain and insomnia drugs, can block a key neurotransmitter.

And that can have a disastrous effect on an aging brain.

The study, published in May in the online edition of the Journal of Clinical Interventions in Aging, found that seniors on these meds – especially those who take more than one drug containing diphenhydramine – are at risk for cognitive impairment.

At its extreme, that can cause delirium – an acute brain dysfunction that can lead to institutionalization or even death.

The researchers also believe taking a drug with this ingredient for 90 days or more can triple your risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease.

And yet there they are, on the shelf of your local pharmacy, available to anyone without a prescription and without any overt indication that these meds could have this kind of effect on your brain.

Not only that, but because this ingredient is in so many drugs, many people – especially seniors – can take several pills containing diphenhydramine without even realizing it.

These researchers are still looking at this ingredient to see what its long-term effects may be. I have no doubt that it won’t be very good – especially for seniors. Most of our older friends already take far too many drugs, both prescription and over-the-counter pills.

Seniors may also have different reactions to common prescription drugs.

Take the latest study on sleep meds and sedatives. Not only are these drugs mostly unnecessary in the first place, because insomnia and sleeplessness can be treated safely and naturally, but they’re also especially dangerous for seniors.

Many of them can be habit-forming and more than a few have some pretty unpleasant side effects. And now, we’re learning that seniors on these meds are at increased risk for suicide.

That’s right, suicide.

Swedish researchers reviewed the records of seniors who had committed suicide, and compared them against a group of similar seniors who had not.

And they found that even after adjusting their data to compensate for psychiatric conditions, seniors who took meds to help them sleep were four times more likely to kill themselves, according to the study published in the June issue of BMC Geriatrics.

If you’re battling sleeplessness, consider that an incentive to deal with it the right way.  Find the cause – don’t just take a drug that tricks your body into falling asleep while exposing you to any number of unpleasant or even deadly side effects.

And whether it’s a prescription sleeping pill or an over-the-counter cold med, think twice before you take any drug.

If your doctor is the one telling you to take these pills, always – always – ask about your alternatives.