Folate and Alzheimer's

Filed in archive Studies on August 12, 2005

There are conflicting studies as to whether folate promotes or prevents Alzheimer's disease:

Preventing Alzheimer's disease may be as simple as increasing the amount of the B vitamin called folate that you get from fruits, green vegetables and supplements, researchers suggest in a new study.

According to the study, older people whose folate intake is above the recommended dietary allowance are at a significantly reduced risk of developing Alzheimer's.

However, the researchers cautioned that far more research is needed to establish a link between folate and the possible prevention of the brain-wasting disease. In fact, one previous study found folate encouraging the development of Alzheimer's disease.

(Reinberg, "Folate May Reduce Alzheimer's Risk", Forbes, Aug.12)