Want To Abridge Your Risk Of Alzheimer’s Disease?

Take more folic acid. According to a 2007 study, folic acid protects against this crushing disease. Researchers from Columbia University Medical Center enrolled a group of 965 New Yorkers who were 65 years old or older and didn't have dementia, and measured their dietary and supplement intake of folate/folic acid and vitamins B6 and B12. The participants were followed for an average of six and a half years; over that period, 192 of them developed Alzheimer’s. Researchers then looked at the study subjects intake of folic acid and vitamins B6 and B12 and found one very significant association: the higher the folic acid intake, the lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

We’re viewing a quadrupling in the number of cases of Alzheimer’s disease over the next 40 years. But this inexpensive vitamin just might help put the brakes on the imminent epidemic. It is recommended that you increase your intake of folate-rich foods (beans, leafy greens, and other vegetables) and take at least 800 mcg of supplemental folic acid daily if you have any concern about Alzheimer’s.