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(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Taking folate supplements or eating plenty of foods rich with the nutrient could reduce your risk for Alzheimer's disease, according to the results of a new study.
Folate is a water-soluble B vitamin occurring naturally in food. Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate used in supplements and added to foods.
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Researchers suspected elevated levels of the amino acid homocysteine in the blood are linked to a higher risk for cardiovascular disease, stroke and the risk for Alzheimer's disease. Folate is important in the body's processing of homocysteine, so investigators from Columbia University Medical Center in New York wanted to know if a folate deficiency could be connected to Alzheimer's.
Researchers studied 965 individuals who did not have dementia and were an average age of 76 years old. Investigators followed the participants for six years and assessed their diets.
During the study, 192 of the participants developed Alzheimer's disease. When investigators looked at the levels of folate in their food and supplements, they found the risk of Alzheimer's disease was lower in the groups with higher folate intake. They say neither dietary folate nor supplements were individually linked to reducing the risk; only the overall combination of the two had an effect.
It is estimated by the year 2047, the prevalence of Alzheimer's disease will quadruple. Delaying the onset of this devastating disease could reduce the burden it causes, and folate could be one piece of the puzzle. However, researchers say definite conclusions about the role of folate and Alzheimer's disease cannot be made yet. They write, "Thus, the decision to increase folate intake to prevent Alzheimer's disease should await clinical trials."
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, which offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, click on: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
SOURCE: Archives of Neurology, 2007;64:86-92
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