Older people with low levels of folate, the salt of folic acid, are more likely to develop dementia and die from any cause.
- Seniors lacking vitamin B9 were 68% more likely to be diagnosed with dementia and nearly three times more likely to die from any cause.
- Folic acid deficiency in the elderly requires preventive monitoring and treatment.
- The foods richest in vitamin B9 are livers, nutritional yeast, egg yolks, shallots, green leafy vegetables and soy-based vegetable cutlets.
Vitamin B9, also called “folic acid”, is essential for ensuring certain functions of our body, such as the production of genetic material, the formation of red blood cells, cell growth, the functioning of the nervous system and the immune system. During our life, it can happen to suffer from a vitamin B9 deficiency. According to works published in the British Medical JournalMarch 15, a lack of folic acid in seniors would be associated with a risk of dementia and mortality.
“The link between folate deficiency and dementia risk in later life is unclear, possibly due to small sample sizes,” American and Israeli scientists said. To examine this possible association, they analyzed the medical records of 27,188 adults aged 60 to 75 who had had no pre-existing dementia for at least 10 years. Folate deficiency was classified as present, if levels were below 4.4 ng/mL.
Lack of vitamin B9 could affect cognition and nerve signaling in the brain
Of the participants, 3,418 lacked vitamin B9. According to the results, the presence of folic acid deficiency was linked to higher risks of dementia and all-cause mortality. The authors estimated that for adults with low folate levels, the incidence of dementia was 7.96 per 10,000 people each year and that of death was 19.20. In comparison, the incidence of dementia was estimated at 4.24 and death from all causes at 5.36 in people who did not have a deficiency.
The authors did not identify a causal link. But in a statementthey suggested that vitamin B9 deficiency may affect homocysteine levels and impair DNA repair in neurons, making them vulnerable to oxidative damage, which could accelerate brain cell aging and damage. “Folate levels may function as a biomarker used to identify people at risk for dementia and mortality,” concluded the researchers.
.
