The health benefits of folic acid in our brain are extraordinary. This folate, also called vitamin B9, for example improves antidepressant treatment by enhancing its effect. We know that it is essential for cellular detoxification, to “manufacture” neurotransmitters and slow down the rate of cognitive decline.
We are talking about a component of a type of food that contains certain essential nutrients to improve mood, cognitive resources and brain health, so when talking about folic acid it is common to think almost immediately of a woman who is pregnant or wants to get pregnant.
- The brain needs to maintain an adequate level of folic acid.
- Low levels of this folic acid are linked to a higher presence of homocysteine.
- Which increases brain inflammation and the risk of stroke.
We know that this folate is critical to the correct development of the fetus and that a deficit in the fetus can lead to serious congenital problems, such as spina bifida or other effects on the baby’s neural tube.
However, vitamin B9 is an exceptional resource for optimizing many of our cognitive processes; In addition, as studies such as that conducted at several universities in the Netherlands reveal, folic acid can allow us to reach advanced ages with better brain health.
In addition, we can also significantly reduce the incidence of cerebral dementia or stroke. As you can see, it is possible to improve our diet to reach old age with more agile mental faculties and a strong cognitive reserve.
Psychiatry journals have been publishing studies on this subject for more than three years, so works such as the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry reveal what this small molecule is capable of doing, to begin with it is known that some psychiatric drugs, such as those used to treat bipolar disorder, reduce the presence of folic acid in the brain.
This is so serious that, as a preventive measure, vitamin supplements are often prescribed to prevent this fall, it is also known that folic acid can enhance the response of antidepressants, so if in addition to following the medication we take care of our diet and do not let this folate get lost, the improvement can be faster and more stable.
If everything in the brain is chemical, folic acid is the mediator that enables a number of processes, reactions and connections, being aware of it can be of great help. Well, let’s now look at the benefits of folic acid for the health of our brain.
There are several studies that show how a good amount of folic acid can improve our mood and increase our Serotonin production. Experts say the best folic acid we can take is methylfolate, because its half-life is longer in our body.
On the other hand, many people are known to have a genetic inability to properly metabolize folic acid, so they still have some deficits, associated diseases and an increased risk of developing certain mood disorders.
In any case, there are already many psychiatrists who recommend taking supplements based on this vitamin to optimize recovery processes and improve the well-being of the soul.
Is methylfolate essential to that brain? Manufacture of neurotransmitters and DNA. If we do not have this folate at the right levels, either because of inadequate nutrition or because of a genetic problem as illustrated above, several things can happen, the most striking is the appearance of a high concentration of homocysteine.
Remember that homocysteine is a chemical compound involved in inflammation and high blood pressure, all of which carries an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, etc. , in addition, the inflammatory hypothesis of depression is increasingly unanimous, this idea holds that a high level of homocysteine influences the development of depressive disorders.
According to a study by Janine Walker, a researcher at the Australian National University, people who have a good maintenance of folic acid and vitamin B12 for three years or more reach advanced ages in better conditions. In these people, the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease decreases, memory remains agile, cognitive reserve is preserved and it is possible to have a more active old age.
All this gives us the courage to follow the advice of experts, from the age of 60 we need to increase the consumption of this type of nutrient, to do this costs nothing and the results are easily visible.
You may be thinking of going to the pharmacy to buy a vitamin supplement based on folic acid, this is not the best option unless prescribed by a doctor, psychiatrist or specialist nutritionist.
Therefore, it is better to act according to our needs, if we do not currently have deficit the ideal is to simply include and maintain these nutrients in our diet, we can do it with foods found in any supermarket, such as:
In conclusion, as we have seen before, folic acid is not only a component that cannot be lacking in the diet of a pregnant woman, we all need, especially when we reach old age, to be careful with the consumption of this type of folate so essential to our brain.