Folic acid 'increases memory'

Folic acid 'increases memory'

By Nic Fleming, Medical Correspondent
Last Updated: 2:18AM GMT 19 Jan 2007
Folic acid supplements can significantly improve the memory and brain power of older people, according to a study to be published today.
Researchers found that men and post-menopausal women aged between 50 and 70 who took daily doses had the mental abilities of those almost five years their junior.
The supplements also helped maintain speed of information processing, reactions involving movement and overall brain power. These abilities decline with age, and their loss has been linked to a higher risk of dementia.
Folate, the natural form of synthetic folic acid, is found in broccoli, Brussels sprouts, peas, chickpeas, yeast extract, brown rice and fruit including oranges and bananas.
The research, published in the Lancet medical journal, was led by Dr Jane Durga, from the University of Wageningen in the Netherlands.
Dr Durga said: "Folic acid improves performance in tests that measure information processing speed and memory - domains known to decline with age.
"Trials similar to our own should now be repeated to provide greater insight into the clinical relevance of folic acid to people with mild cognitive impairment and dementia."
Folic acid supplements were also found to reduce levels of homocysteine, a blood chemical linked both to heart disease and dementia.
Age Concern has warned that increased consumption could have the side effect of masking deficiencies in the vitamin B12 - found in meat, eggs and dairy products - which could actually cause neurological damage.
"Further research is needed to reach a definitive answer on the benefits, or not, of folic acid," said the charity's director-general Gordon Lishman.

Diabetes dulls the brain claim scientists

1/6/09 12:19 PM
Diabetes dulls the brain claim scientists - Telegraph

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/4126051/Diabetes-dulls-the-brain-claim-scientists.html

Diabetes dulls the brain claim scientists

People with diabetes suffer a mental slowdown early in the disease, according to a new study.
By Richard Alleyne, Science Correspondent
Last Updated: 3:57PM GMT 05 Jan 2009
Researchers found that healthy adults performed significantly better in planning, paying attention and speed of thought
than those suffering from diabetes.
But the differences were not significant in terms of memory, verbal fluency or reaction time.
As Britain's diabetic population continues to rise sharply, the findings mean that millions of people could be in danger of
mental slow down.
The team from the University of Alberta in Canada tracked 41 people with type 2 diabetes - also known as adult-onset
diabetes - and 424 without to make the finding.
The study, published in the journal Neuropsychology, found that the mental deterioration was no better in younger adults
with diabetes than in an older group, suggesting that the damage is done early in the disease and remains stable
thereafter.
Professor Roger Dixon, the report's co-author, said that people with serious cases of type 2 diabetes should be screened
for these cognitive effects to make sure they get the right medication and advice on diet or mental training.
"There could be some ways to compensate for these declines, at least early and with proper management," he said.
Obesity is one of the principal causes of type 2 diabetes, and has contributed to a rapid rise in the numbers of people with
the condition.
About a quarter of English adults are obese, and one official forecast suggests nine out of ten adults will be overweight or
obese by 2050.
Diabetes is linked to heart disease, stroke, amputations, kidney failure and blindness, and about one in 10 deaths is linked
to the disease. This is forecast to rise to one in eight next year.