Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of the most common forms of dementia among older people, which initially involves disorders of the parts of the brain that control thought, memory, and language.
Researchers from USA have recently suggested an association between AD risk and several vitamins and have speculated about their use as preventive agents. The findings suggest that total intake of folate at or above the RDA (400 ìg/d) is associated with a reduced risk of AD. Folate and folic acid are forms of a water-soluble B vitamin and are needed to make DNA and RNA, the building blocks of cells.For the study, the researchers asked 579 nondemented elderly volunteers to complete dietary diaries and record their daily supplement intake. The researchers, writing in the July issue of Alzheimer's and Dementia, the journal of the alzheimer's association, found that after a mean follow-up of 9.3 years, 57 participants developed AD. Higher intake of folate, vitamin E, and vitamin B6 were associated individually with a decreased risk of AD after adjusting for age, gender, education, and caloric intake. However, when these 3 vitamins were analyzed together, only total intake of folate at or above the RDA was associated with a significant decreased risk of AD.
So you better start gobbling those leafy green vegetables, fruits, and dried beans and peas if you want to be able to recognize your dear ones when you get old.
