Folic Acid May Help Keep Older Brains Ticking Longer

Thursday, February 8th 2007

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Memory better in 50-70-year-olds who took supplement for three years

Folic acid supplements may boost brain power in the elderly and could possibly help reduce the risk of dementia, scientists say. Brain function, memory and the speed with which information is processed decline as people age but researchers in the Netherlands and Switzerland have found that taking folic acid can help.

"We have shown that three-year folic acid supplementation improves performance on tests that measure information processing speed and memory, domains that are known to decline with age," said Dr Jane Durga of the Nestle Research Centre in Lausanne.

Folic acid is a synthetic compound of folate, a B vitamin found in green leafy vegetables, yeast, liver, beans and in some fruits.

Women are advised to take folic acid before conceiving and during the earl months of pregnancy to prevent disorders such as spina bifida.

British researchers have also shown that folic acid supplements decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease by lowering levels of the amino acid homocysteine, which is thought to damage the inner lining of arteries.

"The functions that decrease most commonly with age are those that we see a beneficial effect through folic acid supplementation," Dr Durga said.

"It seems a bit intuitive, although it is not proven, that if you can slow down age-related cognitive decline perhaps you can also affect the risk of dementia. But this is still a question that needs to be researched," she added.

Durga and scientists at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, who reported their findings in The Lancet medical journal, compared the impact of folic acid supplements to a placebo in a study involving 818 men and women 50-70 years old.

Half of the volunteers were given 800 micrograms of folic acid each day for three years while the rest got a placebo.

When the scientists tested the cognitive and memory functions at the end of the study, they found the three-year change was significantly better in the folic acid group.

In a commentary on the research, Martha Clare Morris and Christine Tangney of the Rush Institute for Healthy Aging in Chicago said the study included volunteers with low folate levels compared to some countries.

But it is not clear how much people with higher levels would benefit from the supplements.

Folate levels vary according to diet. It is high in countries such as Greece, Italy, France and Spain where a Mediterranean diet high in fruits and vegetables is consumed and in the United States and Canada where grain is fortified with folic acid.

Source, New Zealand Herald, Thursday 25 January 2007

Footnote from Ideal Health

The following products all contain Folic acid:

Advanced B
Alive Multi Vitamin
Alive Multi Vitamin iron free
Folic Acid
Iron Plus Vegicaps
Multi-Vite
PABA
Superior Iron
Womens Iron Complex

Related health information can be found here:

Alzheimer's
Antioxidants
Arteriosclerosis
Cardio Vascular Health
Immunity
Memory
Parkinsons
Pregnancy nutrients
Vegetable broth
Vegetable juices

Related articles can be found here:

Chlorophyll- Nature's Green Wonder Food

Gotu Kola Herb "Food for the Brain"

How to Boost Your Brain Power

Iron Helps Women's Brain Power

Wholefood Multi-Vitamins

 

If you need help or advice, you are welcome to email our naturopathic team with your health question.

Disclaimer: The health information presented here has been written for the New Zealand health consumer. It is of a general nature and is only intended to provide a summary of the subjects covered. The information is not intended to be comprehensive or to provide medical advice to you. While all care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information, no responsibility or liability is accepted, and no person should act in reliance on any statement contained in the information provided. All health ailments should be treated by a qualified health professional.

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