Study: Folic Acid May Help Mental Functioning

Folic acid, a naturally occurring form of vitamin B-9 necessary for new cell production, may help improve mental functioning in aging adults, shows a Dutch study of more than 800 men and women age 50 to 70 with low levels of homocysteine, a risk factor for decreased cognitive function. Subjects were randomly assigned either a daily dietary supplement or a placebo. When subjects took five mental tests at the end of the three-year study, those who had received the supplement had overall higher scores and performed significantly better on three of the tests.

While they find these results promising, researchers say they now wish to repeat the experiment with natural folates and on populations who receive folic acid fortification (such as the U.S., where it is added to flour to prevent birth defects).

Read more: Cognitive Function Boosted by Folic Acid Supplements