May Assist in Preventing Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia

The American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine announces that men and women 50-75 years old who took 800 mcg of folate a day for three years scored higher in cognitive tasks than subjects who were given a placebo.

The study was conducted with 818 adults ages 50-75 who had elevated homocysteine levels. Homocysteine is an amino acid suspected in the onset of Alzheimer's disease.

With the consumption of folate, the test subject's group increased their level of folate in the blood by 5 and the homocysteine concentration decreased by 25%.

"It's the first study to convincingly show that folate can slow cognitive decline," said lead author Jane Durga. The study involved healthy older people, not those with Alzheimer's symptoms, so it doesn't show if folate might ward off that disease. "That's the key question," Durga said. (American Academy of Anti-aging Medicine)

"We know Alzheimer's disease, the pathology, begins many, many years before the symptoms. We ought to be thinking about the health of our brain the same way we think about the health of our heart," she added.

Research findings provide evidence that a diet high in folate is beneficial to your health and may play a role in a variety of diseases. The scientific community has suspected folate's role in dementia for some time. Previous studies have shown that low folate levels are connected to diminished cognitive function and heart disease.

Women of child bearing age should take 400 mcg of folate, also known as folic acid, daily. It is important that women realize they should take folate not only when they are pregnant, but prior to conception, also. Folate has been shown to prevent spina bifida and other neurological disorders in newborns by up to 50%. (Dr.Spock.com)

Although folate may provide health benefits and aid in the slow down of cognitive functioning in aging adults; it is not the only thing you can do.

The American Alzheimer's Association offers one hour interactive workshops entitled "Maintain Your Brain: How to Live a Brain Healthy Lifestyle", geared toward educating the general public and teaching healthy ways to reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease later in life.

Some suggestions are:

Use your brain. The more experience you have of challenging your brain power, the more new connections your brain will make. These build up the ability to adapt to age related damages in the future.

Challenge your brain with word and number puzzles, play scrabble or chess, and never stop learning. Pursue personal interests by taking a class or going to workshops.

Stay socially active. Human interaction is important in fighting declining cognitive functioning. Lack of socialization actually predicts a decline in cognitive functioning.

Exercise on a daily basis. Keep your arteries clear. Clogged arteries slow blood flow to the brain.

Try to combine mental, physical, and social activities to get three times the benefits at once.

source;www.associatedcontent.com