According to a just published study in the British Medical Association's Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, a lack of folate (vitamin B-9) may triple the risk of developing dementia in old age.

As part of the study, South Korean scientists led by Dr. Jin-Sang Yoon of Chonnam National University measured folate levels in 518 elderly persons, none of whom evinced dementia, and then followed them for the next 2.4 years.

At the end of the period, forty-five (45) of those tracked had developed dementia, including thirty-four (34) diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease

When the researchers reassessed folate levels, they uncovered a strong link with the onset of dementia. And this even after all other significant factors that might account for dementia had been taken into account including such things as age, disability, alcohol consumption, weight change.

These findings are buttressed by another study published last year in the prestigious medical journal The Lancet, in which it was shown that improvements in short-term memory, mental agility and verbal fluency occurred in persons over 50 who took a daily dose of 800 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid. The US recommended daily amount of folic acid is 400 mcg.

Folate and folic acid, another form of the vitamin, are vital players in the genesis of new cells in the body, including neurons in the brain. It is a vitamin that occurs naturally in green leafy vegetables such as spinach, turnip greens, and various lettuces, and in other foods such as peas and even some fruits.

In light of the two studies cited above, supplementation of folate appears a prudent, proactive preventative measure. This said, taking folate or folic acid in a pill or multi-vitamin may not be so wise, because folate -- like many water soluble vitamins taken in one “fell swoop” (single dose) -- can wind up passing into one’s urine. A wiser approach is to take water soluble vitamins like folate in a slow or time-release form such as NUTRACENE.

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Guide to Living Longer and Healthier