The traditional Louisiana Monday eats, red beans and rice.
"Laissez Le Bon Ton Roulet"
'Tis Fat Tuesday (alias Mardi Gras).
Posted on 02/05/2008 2:12:13 PM PST by decimon
PARIS (AFP) - Lack of folate, also called vitamin B-9, may triple the risk of developing dementia in old age, according to a study published Tuesday.
Researchers in South Korea measured naturally occurring folate levels in 518 elderly persons, none of whom showed any signs of dementia, and then tracked their development over 2.4 years.
At the end of the period, 45 of the patients had developed dementia, including 34 diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, said the study, published by the British Medical Association's Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.
When the researchers, led by Jin-Sang Yoon of Chonnam National University in Kwangju, South Korea, remeasured folate levels, they uncovered a strong link with the dementia.
Even after other factors were taken into account -- including age, disability, alcohol consumption, weight change -- "the onset of dementia was significantly associated with an exaggerated decline in folate," the researchers concluded.
Folate and folic acid, another form of the compound, are essential for the creation of new cells in the body.
The compound occurs naturally in leafy vegetables such as spinach, turnip greens, lettuces, dried beans and peas and in certain fruits.
An study published last year in The Lancet showed an improvement in short-term memory, mental agility and verbal fluency among persons over 50 who took a daily dose of 800 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid. The US recommended daily dose is 400 mcg.
Taking folic acid before conception and throughout the first trimester helps a mother ensure that her child will not develop certain brain and spinal cord defects, including spina bifida, according to previous research.
Quick, someone test McCain.
Nothing benign about B9. Or so I seem to recall.
Mandate folic acid for Senators.
Well, FWIW, I take two so-called B-50 capsules a day, which adds up exactly to the recommended 800 mcg, plus various other types of vitamin Bs.
I think it’s also a good idea to take vitamin D in the winter when there’s not much sun.
Damn you beat me! LOL
Do you mean it is dangerous?
Regards
Next time you have your cholesterol checked, have the MD request the homocysteine test.
Ping
Playing on words, methinks.
B9 = bee nine = benign
Doh ! Thanks
On the contrary. Since the article dealt with dementia, I added the second sentence:
Nothing benign about B9. Or so I seem to recall.
Which was supposed to parallel a demented state. I guess I'm not quite there yet, which is good.
Is it in beer? If so, I’m cool.
Uhhh...
Finding cheap palatable sources of vegetarian dha omega-3s in sufficient amounts cheaply is difficult.
Ping
The traditional Louisiana Monday eats, red beans and rice.
"Laissez Le Bon Ton Roulet"
'Tis Fat Tuesday (alias Mardi Gras).
You're screwed. ;-)
"...beer is a good source of B vitamins[4]--in fact, beer is sometimes referred to as "liquid bread"[5]--although this may be less true for filtered beers[6]and the alcohol in beer impairs the body's ability to activate vitamins."
btt
Dang, I guess I have to drown my sorrows. Happy Fat Tuesday!
The research came out about 10 years ago on homocysteine - I take folic acid regularly.
I have noticed, over the years - and I have plenty of years to have noticed - that it takes an average of 20 years for viable studies to finally make it to implementation, i.e., you will hear about it from your doctor.
It behooves us to do own research - check and double check - and stick with reputable organizations studies.
AS for the heart, CoQ10 is another invaluable supplement.
Thing is, when something can be obtained without a prescription, and/or can't be patented, there won't be as much research or recommends from doctors.
Vegetables and fruits are the best sources for most of our requirements - BUT, unless you grow your own or get certified organic, they are grown in mineral depleted soil - so will not contain nature's intended levels.
Also, 'fresh' vegetables from the super market are not as fresh as frozen. Frozen vegs, are frozen straight out of the field - while 'fresh' vegs. are picked, processed, packed, loaded, trucked to maybe 2-3 warehouses before reaching your supermarkets warehouse - then gets shipped to your local store - and can still be additional days old before you bring them home. (The stores also have a dipping solution they use to reconstitute limp vegs) By the time they get on your plate, they have lost a good deal of nutrition.
Organic cost more out of pocket but gives you much better nutrition...saves money on doctor bills.
I have found that buying organic, particularly meats, it's more per pound - but by simply buying/eating less, I am getting better nutrition without spending more and, as a bonus, don't put on the weight.
PLEASE NOTE: YOU MUST HAVE ENOUGH MAGNESIUM IN ORDER FOR ANY OF YOUR OTHER MINERALS AND SUPPLEMENTS TO ABSORB AND WE’RE ALMOST ALL DEFICIENT IN MAGNESIUM. TAKE AT LEAST 800MG/DAY.
Get flax seed, and grind it up (releasing the DHA/Omega-3s). Put hot water on it and make it into an 'oatmeal' like porridge.
Cheap and not entirely unpalatable...
Shouldn’t that be les bons temps (I’m not talking about the song Bon Ton Rouley)
Or you can buy flax seed oil capsules. Don't know the cost, but my GF is taking them.
The fact that they didn’t warn that taking folic acid / folate could mask a B12 deficiency is infuriating. I have a B12 deficiency and it is linked to symptoms of dementia, alzheimers, depression etc.
Once you start getting the shots, the symptoms go away. All it takes is a simple blood test.
IIRC, that's why folic acid is limited to doses of 400mcg.
Yes, that works also - but the capsules are a lot more expensive than buying flaxseed. Just buy one of those small coffee grinders (Proctor-Silex makes a small one for around $20), and grind up a Qtr cup of seeds a day and turn it into meal.
You don't need to worry about the oil going rancid, because the husk of the seed makes an excellent hermetic seal (I've heard claims that they've found flaxseed in 2000 year old cisterns that was still good for consumption). I presume the gel capsules make a good seal also, but probably not as good as the seed.
And although popping the pills are convenient, grinding flaxseed doesn't take very long and its a lot cheaper. You also get the added 'bonus' of fiber in your diet...Well, enough of my flaxseed advertisement...
A decade ago the medical establishment would be calling 800 mcg. a "megadose" and offer stern warnings, demand stricter government controls, etc. etc.
ping!
*GROAN*
For shame!
Come to think of it, a well balanced B-Complex pill should cover the bases. But the other Bs would have to be limited in dosage to match the 400mcg of folic acid.
Interesting. My doctor, whom I greatly respect, has prescribed lipitor. So far no noticeable side effects, and he does yearly blood checks to be sure. I also take 80mg aspirin.
Google "SpaceDoc"
Folic acid is importsnt throughout life, from pregnancy on. Deficiencies might not show up as problems through midlife but might pop up in later life.
You're right. I lost my 's'.
It's OK, I have an appointment for an eye exam Friday....when I get back home with my new glasses, it'll all be like a big Easter egg hunt.
I know an elderly woman who has received vitamin B shots... (kind I do not know) for years for dementia.
The way I have it figured, in the Northern European climate of my ancestors, they lived a feast or famine lifestyle. Starve for a few days and then gorge when a kill was had. The liver produced fat in able to allow them to survive the bleak periods.
However in the past couple hundred years, three squares were more common. The 20th Century brought processed food (transfats, etc) and overeating.
So the survival mechanism that served my ancestors so well for thousands of years becomes a deadly genetic trait for a modern man without discipline.
Good one.
sw
In 2000, I started off on 40mg/day of Lipator. My triglycerides were nearly 400.
Today, I'm on 10 mg/day of Lipitor and I take Coenzyme Q10 daily (to counter the possible negative effects of lipitor). Also the vitamin regimen I mentioned above. At surgery, my homocysteine level was nearly 14 mcg/litre and now it's 5.3 mcg/litre which is near baseline for humans. HDL of 56 and LDL of 67. This is the first time I've been able to get my LDL under 70, which for bypass people is a good number. Most of the population should be under 100.
Lipitor and exercise has risen my HDLs up from 35 at surgery. I also take a full aspirin once a day.
Point is, discuss with your MD. My vessels are clearly more diseased than yours so I divulge this information for comparative purposes, not as a recommendation.
From what I read, homocysteine is thought to contribute to dementia and the atheroscerosis are intimately associated. That's why I'm posting artery and heart information on a dementia thread.
I'm not a doctor but a Chemical Engineer so I can guarantee you that the methylation I refer to in my first post is valid.
However in the past couple hundred years, three squares were more common. The 20th Century brought processed food (transfats, etc) and overeating.
And studies on some Asian people with very long lives may very well help validate such a theory.
As for me; I'm a Northern European mutt, but I don't do the the three squares routine. I'm more of an eat when I'm hungry; eat until I've had my fill (I don't take home leftover either: science experiments in the fridge I don't need). So basically, I may or may not eat more smaller meals(food) more times a day. Only on occasion, special occasions at that, will I get even close to gluttony for a single meal.
You are correct. Very good topic to discuss with one’s physician.
This is sound discipline.
FWIW, CoQ10 can be purchased at Sams Club for almost half the price it is at health food stores.
sw
Thank you, I’ll check that out. I’m going to watch “House” now. Hope they come up with a real medical mystery tonight. This guy would be fired the first day on the job in any real hospital. But I just love the show. G’nite.
ping
I suspect it is a lot like a pregnant woman who has cravings. It's is more pronounced in her because two bodies are requesting certain nutrients, minerals, vitamins, et al.
The difference being; I'm not a woman, and I'm not pregnant, so the signals may be more subtle. But I guess I at least hear them.
Break open one of those caps and taste it. If it tastes bad or fishy, throw them out. See details at such places as Beware Rancid Fish Oil Capsules
I keep my oils in the refrigerator, in dark bottles, and don't hesitate to throw them out if they are starting to go south.
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