Folic Acid and Vitamin B12 May Prevent Memory Loss

A recent report published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition states that oral supplements of folic acid (FA) and vitamin B12 may help prevent memory loss in certain elderly patients.

Vitamin B12 deficiency, commonly observed in elderly populations, has been associated with abnormal psychiatric symptoms. The use of folic acid, a specific form of vitamin B9, to enhance cognitive skills and improve psychiatric illnesses has been investigated in other studies.

This study randomly assigned 900 adult participants, aged 60-74 years, experiencing symptoms of depression and living in communal dwellings, to receive oral capsules of either 400ug FA + 100ug vitamin B12 or placebo.

Cognitive function measurements after 12 and 24 months evaluated using the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status-Modified (TICS-M) indicated that long-term combined supplementation of FA and vitamin B12 by mouth may improve immediate and delayed memory performance.

Further studies are necessary to confirm the study's findings in more general populations.

For more information about the potential health benefits of folic acid or vitamin B12, please visit Natural Standard's Food, Herbs & Supplements Database.

Comments

[JW]

I find this study to be very interesting. I do believe and agree with previous statements, that even if there is not a big increase in benefits, it does not hurt to use these supplements and they tend to be relatively safe. I knew from seeing previous studies that these supplements were linked to help with memory. I would really be interested to see a study comparing folic acid and B12 vs B12 alone vs folic acid alone vs placebo. I wonder what the results would be comparing these four. Would the combination be just as effective or even better than either alone. If there is no marginal difference, than there is no point in taking 2 supplements when only one would be sufficient.

[Shannon]

This is an interesting study as memory loss is a common issue among the elderly. I am really intrigued to see future studies. Like Julie said, the liver has the capacity to store years’ worth of Vitamin B12. Therefore, I wonder if people start to use Vitamin B12 and folic acid supplementation before absorption becomes difficult (and continue thereafter) they might be able to store enough to last them through their elderly years, thus aiding in memory loss. I would hope this will be addressed with future studies.

[Daniel]

The effect size for all TICS-M measures in this study was actually quite small (d~0.15). This is not surprising, as there is not a whole lot that one can do to improve memory. I wonder if this study would have been more informative about the real-world benefits of supplementing vitamins B-9 and B-12 if it had looked at how the patients subjectively experienced their memory changes (e.g. "I believe my memory ______" - improved, stayed the same, did not improve). After all, the patients' experience of memory change is a stronger motivator for them to purchase these supplements on a retirement budget than quoting them numbers.

[Julie]

Vitamin B12 is such an important nutrient to add to your diet, particularly since it supports brain and nervous system health - makes sense that it would optimize memory. I had no idea that the human liver stores several years' worth of vitamin B12, which is why deficiency is rare, but I read on the Natural Standard database that it's common for older folks to have difficulty with absorption.

[Valerie]

Working in the community pharmacy setting, I see many patients who take folic acid and vitamin B12 on a regular basis. Both of these products provide a number of benefits. Folic acid is extremely important for pregnant women as it helps in the development of a healthy baby. Vitamin B12 and folic acid are both important in the treatment of a form of anemia as well. People who begin taking these supplements for other conditions may find that their memory function is better once they begin to age. This is an exciting development as Alzheimer’s/dementia is becoming an increasingly important issue in today’s society.

[Meredith]

The positive effects on cognitive function that can be achieved by elderly patients who consume both folic acid AND vitamin B12 is quite exciting. However, I think it is worthwhile to point out that taking folic acid supplements alone can actually mask vitamin B12 deficiency, which is a condition that is common in the elderly (as well as in HIV patients and strict vegetarians). Vitamin B12 deficiency is caused by atrophic gastric type B, which prevents B12 from being absorbed from food. High folic acid intake may prevent the anemia and tiredness that are telltale signs of B12 deficiency. Since vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to more serious complications, it is important that anyone taking folic acid supplements maintain a balanced diet and inform his/her physician about supplement use.

[Stephen]

This is an excellent article on Folic Acid and Vitamin B12. With an ever growing aging population, it is so important as pharmacists and healthcare professionals to help educate our patients on information like this. We need to take the opportunity to recommend these products to our patients but at the same time check for interactions that may occur when taken with other medications. It's nice to know that there are studies like this that look at memory loss. Thank you Natural Standard for sharing this!

[Frances]

I know I need help with my memory. Good thing my vitamins contain folic acid. Folate also occurs naturally in food. A few sources of folate include cereals, spinach, lettuce, bananas, orange juice and tomato juice. It is especially important for women of childbearing age or who are pregnant to include folate in their diet or supplement with folic acid to prevent neural tube defects.

[Amber]

This is a good study because both of these supplements have been studied some in Alzheimer's Disease and both have an evidence grade of C. I would also like to see these supplements studied in more depressive disorders because they may have less side effects and patients may be more likely to take an OTC product instead of a prescription item. Even the elderly that do not have Alzheimer's may go through some memory loss, especially short term. This would be a great option to help them maintain their lifestyle and keep up with their families.

[Anonymous]

This a great finding which can really help aid the older population. Vitamin B12 and folic acid are relatively safe supplements with very few drug interactions. It is comforting that there are studies that show improved memory with the use of B12 and folic acid. I wonder if these supplements can alleviate depressive moods as well. I know of people who take Vitamin B supplements for energy and they seem to be in the best of moods.