Folic Acid: A Powerful Brain Food: PreRetirementLife

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Folic Acid: A Powerful Brain Food

Pregnant women have known all about folic acid for more than 20 years. Also called Vitamin M or folate, this important substance is crucial for the successful development of the neural systems of fetuses. Now, however, scientists are studying whether folic acid is helpful not only for brain development but also for brain maintenance as we age.

A five-year study in the Netherlands tracked a total of 818 patients over the age of 50 who were randomly assigned to receive 800 milligramsof folic acid daily for three years. (That's twice the recommended daily allowance.) The test subjects all shared the characteristic of having high concentrations of homocysteine in their blood, an indicator of low folic acid levels and a possible cause of brain deterioration over time. At the end of the study, short-term memory, mental agility and verbal fluency were all better among people who had taken the folic acid compared to those who had been given a placebo. In fact, in memory tests, subjects displayed memory abilities of people 5 and a half years younger than them.

A second study conducted in South Korea came at the folate question from the opposite angle. The study found that people age 65 or older with low folate levels are 3.5 times more likely to develop dementia than people with normal levels. That's a powerful argument for making sure you get enough folic acid in your diet, but does this mean that folic acid alone can prevent dementia and Alzheimer's Disease? The jury is still out, and the answer is probably no, but scientists note that diseases like Alzheimer's take old over long periods of time and any preventative action begun at an early age is better than nothing at all.

So where should you look for folic acid? Note that the word "folic" shares the same root as "foliage," and yes, that means leafy green vegetables such as spinach, lettuces, turnip greens, and peas. Since you'd need to eat 14 cups of spinach per day to get the 800 milligrams you need, you can make it easier on yourself by making your multivitamin supplement includes folate or that the breakfast cereal you eat is fortified with folate.

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> October 16, 2008