Boost folate to help fend off dementia
AS NEW RESEARCH EMPHASISES THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS ESSENTIAL VITAMIN, DIETITIANS TELL LISA SALMON HOW TO MAKE SURE WE GET ENOUGH OF IT
IT’S long been known that pregnant women should take folic acid to help protect their baby from birth defects. But now it seems the vitamin can help reduce the risk of dementia, and having low levels has also been linked to premature death.
New research from the US and Israel has found deficiency in folate (also known as vitamin B9, with its synthetic form being folic acid) was associated with a substantially increased risk of both dementia and death from any cause – people with folate deficiency had a 1.68-fold increased risk of dementia and a 2.98-fold increased risk of dying.
And past studies have found the vitamin – which helps form red blood cells, enables nerves to function properly and is essential in the formation of DNA – may help protect from heart disease and stroke. The British Dietetic Association (BDA: bda.uk.com) explains that folic acid supplements can reduce high levels of homocysteine – an amino acid that irritates blood vessels – associated with increased risk of heart attack or stroke, although it’s thought to be an indicator rather than a risk factor for heart disease.
“Folate is typically linked with pregnancy, but is essential for health across the age spectrum,” says dietitian Dr Carrie Ruxton from the Health and
Food Supplements Information Service (HSIS: hsis.org).
“Its key jobs in the body are making our genetic building blocks, DNA and RNA, and assisting in cell division and creation of proteins.”
But how can you make sure you’re getting enough folate?
IN FOOD
The BDA says most people (other than pregnant women or those trying for a baby) should be able to get enough folate in their diet by eating plenty of vegetables, fruit, beans and wholegrains, which are high in folate, and may also protect against bowel cancer and heart disease.
The BDA says folic acid can be found in green leafy veg like spinach, kale, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and broccoli; beans and legumes (e.g. peas); yeast and beef extracts; oranges and orange juice; wheat bran and other wholegrain foods; poultry, pork, shellfish and liver; and fortified foods.
“Eating broccoli, cabbage and spinach, and having a daily glass of orange juice, are simple ways for everyone to get more folate in the diet,” says Dr Ruxton.
ADDED TO YOUR LOAF
Folic acid will soon be added to nonwholemeal wheat flour across the UK to help prevent life-threatening spinal conditions in babies, the government and devolved administrations announced last September.
The Department of Health and Social Care says adding folic acid will mean foods made with flour, such as bread, will help avoid around 200 neural tube defects each year.
SUPPLEMENTS
The BDA says women trying for a baby, and for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, are advised to take a folic acid supplement, or pregnancy-specific vitamin supplement, and eat a diet rich in folates.
Dr Ruxton says: “Women planning a pregnancy are advised to take a folic acid supplement of 400 micrograms daily. People can also top up their blood folate levels with a multivitamin or B complex supplement.
“Indeed, clinical trials have found that taking B vitamins can benefit mental function and help prevent cognitive decline in older people.”
However, the BDA says it’s advisable for people aged over 50 – or with a history of bowel cancer - not to take folic acid supplements containing more than 200?g/day.
For other people, long-term intakes from fortified foods and supplements should be below 1mg a day for adults (lower amounts for children).