Sarah McGowan-Freije, NatureCity author & contributor

A recent analysis of a number of studies has found that low levels of folate may be associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment.

Folate is a water-soluble B vitamin that plays an essential role in the necessary functions of the human body. It has been linked with nervous system function, red blood cell formation, and hormone function.

The analysis included 21 studies. Twelve of them examined the effects of folate supplementation on cognitive impairment, and nine of them examined the effects of vitamin B12 supplementation on cognitive impairment.

The analysis also included results from a non-published cross-sectional study that included 593 participants over the age of 65 that found an association between low folate levels and cognitive impairment.

The researchers found that low serum folate levels were associated with higher cognitive impairment. However, no association between vitamin B12 levels and cognitive impairment was found.
Researchers from the Athens University Medical School conducted the study. It was published online ahead of print on April 7, 2013, in the Journal of Aging Health.

Previous studies have found a potential link between folate and reductions in hearing loss and birth defects.

Our bodies do not naturally synthesize B vitamins. However, it is easy to increase your intake by eating more folate- rich foods. Some foods rich in folate include liver, eggs, beans, sunflower seeds, asparagus, leafy green vegetables, oranges, strawberries, cantaloupes, and other melons. Folic acid can be found in supplement form and as an additive in foods such as bread, cereal and grains.

Emma McGowan NatureCity author & contributor

Homocysteine is an amino acid that has been linked to increased risk of heart disease. Recent research, however, suggests that elevated homocysteine levels may also be a risk factor for cognitive impairment in mature adults.

Homocysteine is formed in the body as a by-product of digesting protein. High levels have been associated with the early development of heart and blood vessel disease.

The study included 288 healthy individuals who were at least 55 years old. The researchers conducted MRI’s on the participant’s brains. They also measured levels of plasma homocysteine, folate, vitamin B12, blood pressure, BMI and fasting glucose.

High levels of homocysteine were linked to reductions in global cerebral volume and cerebral white matter volume, larger ventricles and lower cognitive performance.

The study was conducted by researchers at the National University of Singapore. It was published in the February 2013, issue of the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.

There are natural ways to lower homocysteine, including increasing your omega-3 intake, increasing folic acid intake, eating more garlic, and increasing your vitamin B12 intake.

Emma McGowan NatureCity author & contributor

High cholesterol can lead to cardiovascular disease and other serious heart problems. Statins are the drug of choice for many with high cholesterol, but they may have serious side effects. A recent study suggests that taking slow-release niacin (a form of vitamin B) may lower LDL (or “bad”) cholesterol by 18%, total cholesterol by 11%, and triglycerides by 9%.

The study included 120 participants who had been diagnosed with mild to moderate high cholesterol. After a four week diet to regulate cholesterol, the participants were split into three intervention groups:

1) placebo

2) 1500 mg/d of slow-release niacin;

3) 1500 mg/d of inositol hexanicotinate (IHN), another form of niacin.

All participants also received instructions for a heart healthy diet, and were monitored for diet, medication side effects, blood lipids and dosage compliance002E

After six weeks of supplementation, the researchers found that the slow-release niacin had the cholesterol lowering benefits noted above. They also found that it resulted in a 12% increase in HDL (“good”) cholesterol. No significant changes to cholesterol levels were seen in the placebo or IHN groups.

The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Minnesota. It was published in the January 2013 issue of the Journal of Clinical Lipidology.

Niacin, or vitamin B3, is involved in over 50 metabolic processes that turn carbohydrates into energy. Previous studies have linked niacin to helping to prevent atherosclerosis, maintain good circulation, reduce pain and fatigue in muscles, improve joint mobility and improve nutrient absorption.

Our bodies do not naturally synthesize niacin. However, it is easy to increase your intake of these essential vitamins by eating more niacin rich foods, such as swordfish, tuna, liver, peanuts, lean veal and sun-dried tomatoes.

Sarah McGowan-Freije, NatureCity author & contributor

Some countries fortify flour with folic acid to help prevent neural tube defects. Others do not because of concerns regarding possible increased risk of cancer associated with folic acid supplementation.

A team of researchers from the University of Oxford in the UK conducted a study to investigate the association between folic acid supplementation and cancer risk. They found that high consumption of folic acid does not put an individual at higher risk for cancer.

This analysis included 13 clinical trials and 50,000 participants. They found that 7.7% of the group of individuals taking folic acid supplements and 7.3% of those in the placebo group developed cancer during the trial periods.

The highest average intake of folic acid noted was 40 mg per day, and even that group showed no significant increase in cancer risk.

The study was published in The Lancet on January 25, 2013.

Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate, a water-soluble B vitamin. Folate plays an essential role in the necessary functions of the human body. It has been associated with nervous system function, red blood cell formation, and hormone function. Previous studies have also found a potential link between this vitamin and reductions in hearing loss and birth defects.

Our bodies do not naturally synthesize B vitamins. However, it is easy to increase your intake by eating more folate- rich foods, such as liver, eggs, beans, sunflower seeds, asparagus, leafy green vegetables, oranges, strawberries, cantaloupes, and other melons. Folic acid can be found in supplement form and as an additive in foods such as bread, cereal and grains.

Scott Greenberg, NatureCity author & contributor

A recent study found that the highest average intakes of vitamin B6 and riboflavin were both associated with a 20% lower risk of colorectal cancer in postmenopausal women when compared with the lowest average intake.

The study included 88,045 postmenopausal women who participated in the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study. The women were recruited between 1993 and 1998 and were followed until 2009. During that time, 1,003 incidences of colorectal cancer were recorded.

Participants who consumed more than 3.88 mg per day of vitamin B6 had a 20% reduction in colorectal cancer compared to participants who consumed less than 1.52 mg per day. Additionally, participants who consumed more than 3.97 mg per day of riboflavin had a 20% lower risk of colorectal cancer compared to participants who consumed less than 1.8 mg per day.

The researchers also found that there was an initial spike in colorectal cancers when foods were first fortified with dietary folate in 1998. However, they attribute this to the fact that in the early stages of implementation, many fortified foods contained more than the recommended levels of dietary folate.

This study was conducted at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle and the National Center for Tumor Diseases in Germany. It was published in the January 2013 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

B vitamins have been linked to numerous health benefits, including reducing breast cancer risk, nervous system function, red blood cell formation, and hormone function. Studies have also suggested that B vitamins may reduce the risk of stroke, hearing loss, and birth defects.

Vitamin B6 is found in a variety of foods, including fish, beef liver, chickpeas, potatoes and bananas. Foods high in riboflavin include almonds, cheese, wheat bran, fish, sun dried tomatoes and sesame seeds. If your diet does not contain enough of these foods, you could consider supplementing with a high quality multivitamin or vitamin B supplement.

Sarah McGowan-Freije, NatureCity author & contributor

Even mild deficiency in vitamin B12 in mature adults may be associated with a higher risk of accelerated cognitive decline. Researchers found that the rate of decline was approximately 30% faster in mature adults who were vitamin B12 deficient.

The study included 549 adults with an average age of 75 who participated in the Framingham Heart Study. The participants were divided into five groups based on their vitamin B12 blood levels.
The researchers then administered tests to evaluate cognitive decline.

They continued testing all of the participants for the next eight years in order to measure the rate of cognitive decline. The researchers found that the scores of the individuals in the lowest two groups dropped 30% more annually compared to the scores of those in the highest three groups.

The study was conducted by researchers at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University. It was published in the August 2012 issue of the Journal of American Geriatrics Society.

Vitamin B12 is a water soluble vitamin that is essential to the proper function of the brain, nervous system and formation of red blood cells. Deficiencies in vitamin B12 can lead to fatigue, depression and memory lapses.

Food sources of vitamin B12 include liver, turkey giblets, oysters, clams, king crab and whole milk. If your diet is not rich in these products, you might want to consider taking a high quality multivitamin or vitamin B12 supplement.

Sarah McGowan-Freije, NatureCity author & contributor

Colorectal cancer refers to both colon and rectal cancers. A recent study suggests that taking folic acid supplements may reduce the risk of developing colorectal cancer by up to 45%. Interestingly, dietary folate intake did not reduce the risk of colorectal cancer.

Participants in the study included 850 individuals with colorectal cancer, 575 of whom had colorectal cancer on the left side of the colon, 275 of whom had it on the right side of the colon. The researchers also included 958 individuals without colon cancer as control subjects.

Previous studies have suggested that different risk factors may determine whether someone develops left or ride side colon cancer.

After conducting a statistical analysis, the researchers determined that natural dietary folate intake did not seem to affect the risk of developing either right or left side colon cancer. Taking supplements of folic acid didn’t seem to affect right side colon cancer either. However, 4 years of supplementation was associated with a 45% reduced risk in left side colon cancer.

The research was conducted at The University of Western Australia. It was published online ahead of print on October 4, 2012, in Nutritional Cancer.

Folate is a B vitamin that plays an essential role in the necessary functions of the human body. It has been associated with nervous system function, red blood cell formation, and hormone function. Previous studies have also found a potential link between these important vitamins and reductions in the risk of stroke, hearing loss and birth defects.

Our bodies do not naturally synthesize B vitamins. The man-made version of folate is called folic acid and can be found in supplement form and as an additive in foods such as bread, cereal and grains. Some foods naturally rich in dietary folate include liver, eggs, beans, sunflower seeds, asparagus, leafy green vegetables, oranges, strawberries, cantaloupe, and other melons.

Emma McGowan NatureCity author & contributor

A recent far reaching analysis suggests that consuming folic acid either in dietary form or in the form of supplements may reduce the risk of stroke. However, the researchers did not find a correlation between folic acid and a lower risk of coronary heart disease.

For this study, 26 randomized controlled trials were examined. In total, 58,804 people participated. The researchers found a 7% lower risk of stroke in individuals with high blood levels of folic acid.

Previous studies have suggested that folic acid consumption could reduce serum homocysteine levels. Homocysteine is an amino acid that has previously been linked with heart disease. While it may be true that folic acid reduces homocysteine levels, this study found no link between folic acid consumption and lower incidences of cardiovascular disease.

The study was conducted by researchers at Chang Gung University in Taiwan and was published online ahead of print on August 9, 2012, in the European Journal of Internal Medicine.

Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate, a water-soluble B vitamin. Folate plays an essential role in the necessary functions of the human body. It has been associated with nervous system function, red blood cell formation, and hormone function. Previous studies have also found a potential link between this vitamin and reductions in hearing loss and birth defects.

Our bodies do not naturally synthesize B vitamins. However, it is easy to increase your intake by eating more folate- rich foods. Some foods rich in folate include liver, eggs, beans, sunflower seeds, asparagus, leafy green vegetables, oranges, strawberries, cantaloupes, and other melons. Folic acid can be found in supplement form and as an additive in foods such as bread, cereal and grains.

Sarah McGowan-Freije, NatureCity author & contributor

A recent study suggests that low levels of vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 are linked to an increased risk of cognitive function. Low levels of B12 were also found to be associated with an increased risk of depression.

The researchers did note, however, that this study shows correlation, not causation, meaning it does not show that increasing B6 and B12 levels would reduce these risks.

Two study populations were analyzed: The Boston Puerto Rican Health Study and the Nutrition, Aging, and Memory in Elders study. Food frequency questionnaires were administered to determine diet and health factors. To determine cognitive functioning, the Mini-Mental Status Exam was conducted and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale was employed for depression.

The researchers noted that low B6 and B12 levels were correlated with lower cognitive functioning scores. Additionally, low B12 levels were linked with higher depressions scores.

The researchers were based at Oxford University and their results were published in the August 2012 issue of the journal Nutritional Epidemiology.

B vitamins have been linked to numerous health benefits, including reducing breast cancer risk, nervous system function, red blood cell formation, and hormone function. Studies have also suggested that B vitamins may reduce the risk of stroke, hearing loss, and birth defects.

Our bodies do not naturally synthesize B vitamins. However, it is easy to increase your intake of these essential vitamins by eating more vitamin B rich foods, including broccoli, asparagus, potatoes, tuna, liver, oysters, clams, king crab and salmon. Many flour products are also fortified with B vitamins. If your diet is not rich in these products, you could consider supplementing with a high quality multivitamin or vitamin B12 supplement.

Sarah McGowan-Freije, NatureCity author & contributor

Heart disease is an affliction that develops over the course of one’s life, and is hard to reverse once it has developed. However, a recent meta-analysis suggests that supplementation with folic acid – a form of vitamin B – may reduce carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) or thickening of artery walls.

The study was published in the June 2012 issue of Atherosclerosis. It was conducted by researchers at Anhui Medical University and Peking University First Hospital in China.

Ten clinical trials were included in the study, with a total of 2,052 participants. The researchers found that folic acid supplementation was associated with less hardening of the arterial walls and lower levels of homocysteine, a marker of heart disease.

The results were particularly notable in people with chronic kidney disease and those with a high risk of cardiovascular disease. However, no significant results were seen in people who had high homocysteine levels but were otherwise healthy.

Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate, a water-soluble B vitamin. Folate plays an essential role in the necessary functions of the human body. It has been associated with nervous system function, red blood cell formation, and hormone function. Previous studies have also found a potential link between this vitamin and reductions in the risk of stroke, hearing loss and birth defects.

Our bodies do not naturally synthesize B vitamins. However, it is easy to increase your intake by eating more folate- rich foods. Some foods rich in folate include liver, eggs, beans, sunflower seeds, asparagus, leafy green vegetables, oranges, strawberries, cantaloupes, and other melons. Folic acid can be found in supplement form and as an additive in foods such as bread, cereal and grains.