Vitamin B protects against Alzheimer’s disease

Adults who eat the daily recommended allowance of foliates (B-vitamin nutrients found in oranges, legumes, leafy green vegetables and folic acid supplements) significantly reduce their risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, according to results from a long-term study by the National Institute on Aging.

The study also found that folates appear to have more impact on reducing Alzheimer’s risk than vitamin E, a noted antioxidant, and other nutrients considered for their effect as a brain-aging deterrent.

Researchers at the University of California (UC) in Irvine analyzed the diets of non-demented men and women age 60 and older. They compared the food nutrient and supplement intake of those who later developed Alzheimer’s disease to the intake of those who did not develop the disease.

“Although foliates appear to be more beneficial than other nutrients, the primary message should be that overall healthy diets seem to have an impact on limiting Alzheimer’s disease risk,” said Dr Maria Corrada of the UC Irvine’s Institute for Brain Aging and Dementia.

The researchers used data from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging to identify the relationship between dietary factors and Alzheimer’s disease risk. Between 1984 and 1991, study volunteers provided detailed dietary diaries, which included supplement intake and calorie amounts, for a typical seven-day period.

Ultimately, 57 of the original 579 participants developed Alzheimer’s disease. But the researchers found that those with higher intake of folates, vitamin E and vitamin B6 shared lower comparative rates of the disease. And when the three vitamins were analyzed together, only foliates were associated with a significantly decreased risk.