NOW Foods - More Benefits of Folic Acid: Boosting Memory in the Elderly

More Benefits of Folic Acid: Boosting Memory in the Elderly

By Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS, June 21, 2005, abstracted from “Folic acid supplements boost memory in elderly” posted on Nutraingredients.com June 21, 2005

When thinking about folic acid, perhaps the most important use that comes to mind is how its addition to the food supply in the mid 1990’s successfully reduced Neural Tube Defects (NTDs) by twenty-three percent.¹ This caused both the FDA and the U.S. Public Health Service and Institute of Medicine to recommend that all women capable of becoming pregnant consume 400 micrograms of folic acid daily.²

More research on folic acid then surfaced³ showing that folic acid could help prevent inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), an inflammatory condition of the intestines that is estimated to affect over one million Americans⁴

Now, a new study presented at the Alzheimer's Association’s first ever conference on the prevention of dementia⁵ has found that folic acid may also benefit the elderly by helping boost their memory. In the study, 818 men and post-menopausal women aged 50 to 70 years old with elevated homocysteine levels were given either 800 micrograms of folic acid daily or a placebo for three years. During that time, both groups had their blood folate levels checked regularly and were given several cognitive tests.

Researchers found that blood folate levels in the folic acid group increased five-fold while homocysteine levels decrease by 25%. The folic acid group also performed “significantly better” than the placebo group, with their memory equivalent to being 5.4 years younger and information processing was that of people two years younger. Sensory motor speed was typical of someone nearly 2 years younger.

For lead researcher Jane Durga, "It's the first study to convincingly show that folic acid can slow cognitive decline.”

Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Danville, CA. You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at mailto:ChiroDocPSUalum@msn.com or visiting his website www.CompleteChiropracticHealthcare.com

Reference:

¹ “Spina Bifida and Anencephaly Before and After Folic Acid Mandate --- United States, 1995--1996 and 1999—2000” from MMWR Weekly 2004; 53(17): 362-365

² “Recommendations for the Use of Folic Acid to Reduce the Number of Cases of Spina Bifida and Other Neural Tube Defects” from MMWR Weekly 2004; 41(RR-14): 001

³ Danese S. Homocysteine triggers mucosal microvascular activation in inflammatory bowel disease. Am J Gastroenterol. 2005 Apr;100(4):886-95

⁴ “Inflammatory Bowel Disease” posted on the www.Emedicine.com website June 9, 2004

⁵ “The First Ever Dementia Conference Opens In Washington, DC” posted on the Alzheimer’s Association Website www.alz.org/preventionconference/pc2005/overview.asp