Folic acid may just be one of nature’s best gifts to keeping the human body healthy. Three excellent sources are fresh green leafy vegetables, whole grains, and nuts. These types of foods such as spinach, oats, and cashews contain many nutrients including the phytonutrients of fresh vegetables that work with folic acid to keep the brain healthy and aid in the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease.

There have been many studies that have been designed to understand if and how folic acid keeps the brain healthy. The earliest studies were inconclusive, but with additional research health advocates are more inclined to promote folic acid as a way to keep the brain functioning at optimum levels at any age.

One study that is probably the most commonly referenced is one that followed 30 nuns all from the same convent. As members of the same convent, they presumably ate a similar diet, having shared their meals in the same cafeteria. When the nuns died, their brains were examined for the traits consistent with Alzheimer’s disease. Fifty percent were found to have the characteristics indicating this form of dementia while the other half did not. Dr. David A Snowdon working with the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging at the University of Kentucky’s college of medicine observed that the nuns with the most brain atrophy and highest number of lesions (common in those with AD) were also the ones with the lowest folic acid levels. It is believed that low folate levels increase the amount of homocysteine that builds up in the blood and damages the blood vessels. Without proper blood nourishing the brain, cognitive function is impaired.

So why keep up with the fresh fruits and veggies? If you are a woman of child bearing age, it is especially important because folic acid deficiency can lead to birth defects. It is the primary cause of spina bifida, where the spinal column does not close completely. It happens during the first month of pregnancy, often before a woman would even know she is pregnant, so even women not planning a pregnancy need to get enough folic acid.

Another reason to make sure you are getting enough of the foods containing folic acid is that they are also the same foods that can prevent Alzheimer’s disease through their other properties. These foods control cholesterol and blood pressure. They keep the blood vessels, including the smallest ones in the brain, clear and flexible so that blood, oxygen and nutrients can nourish the brain continually. This we know, and medical and natural health researchers will agree, can help prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

The bottom line: eat a balanced diet full of fresh green leafy vegetables and whole grains. This is something you can do at any age to help prevent all kinds of age-related illnesses including Alzheimer’s disease.

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