Do folic acid supplements help prevent dementia?
Folic acid: do supplements prevent dementia?
Folate deficiency, derivatives of vitamin B9, is very common among postmenopausal women and seems to increase the risk of dementia or mild cognitive impairment, a pre-dementia condition. Folic acid supplements could therefore play an important role in protecting against cognitive decline.
This is reported by a study conducted by researchers from the Department of Epidemiology at Columbia University in New York (USA) and published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
B vitamins and dementia
B vitamins are essential for the functioning of various enzymes involved in cell metabolism. The role of these vitamins, especially B6, B12, and folates, in protecting cognitive function in the elderly has been studied for several years. Several studies have shown that higher intake of B vitamins may be associated with a lower risk of dementia. Dementia is a chronic and progressive dysfunction of brain functions leading to a decline in cognitive abilities. Mild Cognitive Impairment indicates the transition phase between normal aging and dementia.
Folate deficiency increases the risk of dementia
In this research, conducted as part of a clinical trial, the Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study, more than 7,000 postmenopausal women were involved, whose intake of B vitamins was evaluated in relation to the possible development of cognitive disorders. Participants were contacted between 1993 and 1998, and B vitamin intake was assessed through a food frequency questionnaire. Levels of folates, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 were identified, as well as their association, alone or combined, with dementia of varying severity.
Results showed that 46.7% of the women examined consumed daily folate levels below the recommended doses (400 µg). Vitamin B6 was deficient in about 27% of women, while only 2.5% showed insufficient vitamin B12 levels. Deficiencies appeared associated with greater sedentariness and more disadvantaged socioeconomic conditions. During the 5-year observation, a total of 307 cases of dementia or Mild Cognitive Impairment were diagnosed, 16.4% of which progressed to probable dementia by the end of the period. The incidence of Mild Cognitive Impairment and dementia was higher among women with folate insufficiency, with about a 100% increased risk for those with intake below daily requirements. No correlation emerged for vitamin B6 intake below recommended levels.
A relationship to be confirmed
Folate intake below the recommended daily dose seems to increase the risk of dementia in advanced age. In light of these observations, the study authors hypothesize that folate supplements could help prevent cognitive decline in the elderly population. However, further studies are needed to deepen this hypothesis.
Source: Agnew-Blais JC, Wassertheil-Smoller S, Kang JH, Hogan PE, Coker LH, Snetselaar LG, Smoller JW. “Folate, Vitamin B-6, and Vitamin B-12 Intake and Mild Cognitive Impairment and Probable Dementia in the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study.” J Acad Nutr Diet. 2014 Sep 5. pii: S2212-2672(14)01056-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2014.07.006.
