Folic acid (vitamin B-9) supplementation may substantially improve
cognitive (mental) function for older adults, according to an Article
in the Lancet.

Cognitive function declines with age, especially regarding speed and
memory information processing.  Such changes in cognitive function have
been linked to risk of dementia in old age. Previous studies have
suggested that low folate and raised homocysteine concentrations in the
blood are important risk factors associated with poor cognitive
performance.

Leafy vegetables such as spinach and turnip greens, dried beans and
peas, fortified cereal products, sunflower seeds and certain other
fruits and vegetables are rich sources of folate, as is liver. Some
breakfast cereals (ready-to-eat and others) are fortified with 25% to
100% of the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for folic acid.

In the Folic Acid and Carotid Intima-media Thickness (FACIT) trial,
Jane Durga (Wageningen University and Wageningen Centre for Food
Sciences, Netherlands) and colleagues randomly assigned 818
participants 800 micrograms daily oral folic acid supplementation or
placebo for 3 years. They found that cognitive functions such as memory
and information processing speed improved in adults given folic acid
compared with placebo.

The authors conclude: "We have shown that 3-year folic acid
supplementation improves performance on tests that measure information
processing speed and memory, domains that are known to decline with
age.  Trials similar to our own should be repeated in other populations
to provide greater insight into the clinical relevance of folic acid
supplementation, such as in populations with mild cognitive impairment
and dementia."