Folic Acid for Mental Health
Pregnant women need folic acid to prevent birth defects among their babies, and new research suggests that seniors may benefit from supplements as well, to help ward off dementia as they age. A clinical study from South Korea indicates that low levels of folic acid (called folate when this vitamin occurs naturally in green leafy vegetables, dried beans and peas) may triple the risk of developing dementia late in life. Researchers from Chonnam National University measured folate levels in 518 seniors, none of whom showed signs of dementia. After 2.4 years, 45 of the study participants had developed dementia including 34 cases of Alzheimer’s disease. After taking into account such factors as age, disability, alcohol consumption and weight loss (associated with dementia), they found that dementia was significantly linked to a decline in folate levels. This study didn’t look at whether increasing folate intake would help the patients with dementia, but in 2007, a study from the Netherlands did show improvements in short term memory and mental agility among participants over 50 who took 800 mcg of folic acid daily. The Korean study was published online on Feb. 5, 2008 in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.
I thought this was very interesting! Since I am still breastfeeding, my folic acid intake is still high. After reading this, I think I will continue to take my folic acid supplement indefinitely.