Nutraceuticals and nootropics for anti-aging

Folic Acid supplements as prevention against Alzheimer’s

Evidence has been accumulating since the 1980s that folic acid (‘folate’) supplementation has anti-Alzheimer’s effects in humans. The first clinical trial took place around 1990, and others have been conducted since then. There is a growing consensus that this supplement has significant benefits in preventing Alzheimer’s dementia.

In the latest reported clinical study — of people who supplement with at least 400 micrograms/day of folic acid — this supplement showed significant ability to prevent Alzheimer’s Disease in people aged 60 and older.

Most of the research into the relationship between folic acid and Alzheimer’s focuses on people with folic acid deficiency — defined as folic acid consumption less than the government-recommended amount of 400 micrograms per day. It would make sense to test much larger dosages for Alzheimer’s prevention or treatment, but this has not yet been done. Doses of 15 mg/day have, however, been tested for toxicity and found to have none.

The mechanism by which folic acid prevents or reverses Alzheimer’s symptoms is not well understood, but is thought to involve the suppression of the body’s production of homocysteine — a substance implicated in a variety of disease processes, including Alzheimer’s Disease.

It has now been more than 15 years since the anti-Alzheimer’s properties of folic acid were discovered, yet medical researchers are still announcing positive results of folate/Alzheimer’s studies as if this were a new concept. From this we conclude that this treatment isn’t likely to be optimized any time soon. So, if we want the possible benefits of high-dose folate for anti-Alzheimer’s prevention, we will simply have to adopt this as a personal long-term regimen and hope that someday the research establishment will catch up and confirm that we’re right on the right track.

Link to news article:

Preventing Alzheimer’s linked to folic acid intake

Links to research abstracts about Alzheimer’s and folic acid:

Pharmacological treatment strategies in Alzheimer type dementia.

Non-toxicity of folic acid

A neurologist's view of Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

Folate and brain function in the elderly.

Folate deficiency inhibits proliferation of adult hippocampal progenitors.

Homocysteine versus the vitamins folate, B6, and B12 as predictors of cognitive function and decline

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LifeLink carries folic acid in 5 mg capsules.