High Folic Acid May Slow Mental Aging

A diet higher in folate has been linked to a variety of health benefits such as reducing birth defects and warding off heart disease and strokes. Moreover, according to a Dutch study, taking 800 micrograms of folic acid a day might also help ward off the cognitive decline of aging.

In the study, more than 800 cognitively healthy patients (aged 50-75) were given either a folic acid supplement or a placebo for three years. Patients who took the supplement performed well on memory tests (with scores comparable to people more than five years younger) and cognitive speed tests (with results scoring almost two years younger than their peers).

Though it is unclear how folic acid works to protect the brain, some studies suggest folate lowers inflammation; others suggest it may play a role in expression of dementia-related genes. Either way, folate can be found naturally in:

• Dark-green leafy vegetables
• Strawberries
• Oranges
• Beans

San Francisco Chronicle June 20, 2005

filipe's comments

The San Francisco Chronicle article talks about a study that was conducted with patients taking 800 micrograms of folic acid daily from pill sources. The study concluded that "high-dose folic acid pills ... might help slow the cognitive decline of aging." The article also noted that "t's already proven to reduce birth defects, and research suggests it helps ward off heart disease and strokes, too." Why haven't we been hearing more about this great nutrient?

Truth is, whether you know much about it or not, folic acid (aka "folate", a B vitamin) has been a known beneficial nutrient for some time. It has been popularized as a staple nutrient for pregnant women - the reason being that folic acid is involved in the production of new cells, and can help prevent against birth defects. How about for an adult?

Your body is producing new cells every day, and folic acid can help keep those new cells healthy and young. Folate is good for the heart, and it comes as no surprise to me that it's great for the brain as well. They say the mind is the first thing to go, but with folate, it doesn't have to be.

dr. mercola's comments

Folic acid, as well as vitamin B-12, are necessary in the synthesis of many important components of the nervous system including:

• Neurotransmitters
• Myelin
• Phosphatidylcholine

In addition, high levels of homocysteine in the blood have been associated with a decline in cognitive ability in the elderly. Homocysteine levels are known to rise when you are deficient in folic acid or vitamin B-12.

So the evidence appears quite strong to support folic acid. The practical question then becomes how you should obtain it. It is my belief that using foods is a far superior option to taking mega-dose folic acid supplements as they did in this study.

Fresh vegetables, especially dark green, leafy ones, are some of your best natural sources of folic acid. If your diet is lacking in these vegetables you will tend to have increased homocysteine levels and an increased risk of all degenerative diseases -- including an increased risk of mental decline.

Eating plenty of fresh, uncooked vegetables is the natural way to make certain you are receiving an ideal daily dose of folic acid (and hundreds of other known and unknown nutrients).

However, it is important to understand that we all need varying amounts of vegetables. Some people need to consume 300 percent more vegetables than others to stay healthy. The amount of vegetables your body requires depends on your body's specific metabolic type. While we all need vegetables to stay healthy, your metabolic type should determine the type and amount.

One of the easiest ways to get vegetables in your diet is to consume vegetable juice regularly. It is my daily morning ritual and only takes me about 15 minutes or so to juice, drink it and clean up my mess. If you aren't familiar with juicing, consider reading my article on it, which is also the number one search term for "juicing" on Google.