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Folate and Reduced Risk of Alzheimer’s
Disease
January 29,
2007
Alzheimer’s Disease in America
Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of mental disease, is affecting
over 13 million people around the world, and is expected to quadruple
by the year 2047. In the United States alone the cost of care, both
directly and indirectly, is over $100 billion dollars. And then there
is the daily emotional stress and strain to the care giver(s).
New research published in the January 2007 issue of Archives of Neurology by researcher Jose Luchsinger of Columbia University Medical Center, revealed that an increased intake of folic acid from both food and supplements may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by 50%.
Study Protocol
The conclusion of the reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease from folate
was based on a six year study where the diets of 965 people with the
average age of 75.8 years were analyzed. The people involved were comprised
of 70.2% women, 45.3% Hispanic, 32.6% African American, and 22.1% Caucasian.
Most of the analysis of the diets were completed in or before 1996,
which was before the mandatory enrichment of grain and cereal products
with the synthetic form of folate known as folic acid. It wasn’t until
1998 that folate enrichment of food was legislated based on research
that a folate deficiency during pregnancy increased the risk of neural
tube defects. This synthetic form is also widely used in supplements.
Study Results
After nearly six years of continuous analysis there were 192 people
out of 965 diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. When the researchers
had adjusted for other contributing factors such as their age, cardiovascular
history, and intake of B12 and B6, they discovered that when the folate
level was increased from both diet and supplements, there was a link
to a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease by 50%. The researchers also
found that this link to a reduced risk was only associated to the combination
of diet and supplementation and not to either one alone. Also, the amount
of B12 and B6 had no link to the reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Abnormalities of the
Brains of Alzheimer’s Disease
Examination of the brains of Alzheimer’s victims at autopsy reveals
three distinct abnormalities, (1) a large loss of neurons in specific
areas of the brain, (2) tangled protein filaments within neurons, and
(3) an accumulation of abnormal amyloid plaques deposited outside of
neurons. Also, some even have elevated levels of aluminum in the brain
which has no known use.
Alzheimer’s disease patients have a severe loss of neurons in the areas of the hippocampus and cerebral cortex that are critical for memory and learning. But besides the loss of neurons there is the degenerating of the axons, axon terminals, and fibrils by the accumulation of amyloid plaques by an abnormal protein called beta amyloid.
Homocysteine’s Possible
Effects On Amyloid Plaques for Increased Risk of Alzheimer’s
Researchers have found a link between the level of homocysteine and
the degree of accumulation of amyloid proteins in the brain. When there
is a combination of low folate and high homocysteine levels amyloid
beta’s effects may be enhanced increasing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Folate and Healthier Homocysteine
Levels
The higher amounts of folate in the study from the combination of food
and supplements correlated to a lower level of homocysteine. This in
turn suggests that a higher level of folate would result in a lowered
risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Folic Acid Deficiency
is Very Common
Even though folic acid occurs widely in food it is the most common deficiency
in the world. This is due in part to eating too many processed foods,
and failure eat to eat enough of the natural unprocessed whole plant
foods that contain folic acid. Some natural whole food sources where
folic acid is found in high concentrations are green leafy vegetables
such as kale, spinach, beet greens, and chard. Some other food sources
include whole grains, root vegetables, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower,
avocados, oranges, asparagus, legumes, sesame seeds, and nuts such as
filberts, hazelnuts, cashews, walnuts, and almonds. Folic acid is very
sensitive and destroyed easily by light and heat so it is important
to eat foods high in folic acid with as little cooking as possible,
including micro waving. 1
References:
Source of Study:
Archives of Neurology
January 2007, Volume 64, Pages 86-92
“Relation of Higher Folate Intake to Lower Risk of Alzheimer Disease
in the Elderly”
Authors: J. Luchsinger, M-X. Tang, J. Miller, R. Green, R. Mayeux
1. Baily, L. B., Folate in Health and Disease, Marcel Dekker, New York, N.Y., 1995
2. Nillson K., et al., Plasma homocysteine in relationship to serum cobalamin and folate in a psychogeriatric population. Eur J Clin Invest 24, 600-606, 1994
Marieb, E. N., R.N. Ph.D (1992)
Human Anatomy and Physiology. (2nd ed.) Redwood City, CA:
The Benjamin Cummings Publishing Co. Inc.
Tortora, G. J., Grabowski,
S. R., (1996) Principles of Anatomy and Physiology (8th ed.)
New York, N. Y: Harper Collins Publishing Inc.
Holford, P., (1999) The Optimum Nutrition Bible Berkeley, CA: The Crossing Press
Murray, M. T., N.D. (1996) Encyclopedia of Nutritional Supplements Rocklin, CA: Prima Publsihing.
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