New research in Alzheimer's disease

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NUTRITION SUPPLEMENT Vitamins, Minerals, and More

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Folate and B12 may help
prevent Alzheimer’s

Folate and vitamin B12 may be linked to a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease, new research shows. Low blood levels of the vitamins and elevated homocysteine levels are associated with the disease, according to British researchers who published the study in 1998 in the Archives of Neurology.

Homocysteine is an amino acid commonly found in high amounts in Alzheimer’s patients. The case-control study involved 164 patients with a clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer’s-type dementia.

Wine may be a brain tonic

A glass and a half of wine daily may help prevent neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, research in the British journal New Scientist shows.

A team of Italian researchers at Milan University found that reservatrol, a chemical found in grapes and wine, triggers a sevenfold increase in the activity and effectiveness of an enzyme that stimulates and regenerates nerve cells.

Reservatrol also helps brain cells grow small extensions through which they may be able to connect with neighboring cells, according to lead researcher Alberto Bertelli, Ph.D., in a Reuters interview. This construction reactivates the ability of the elderly to remember, he says.

folate facts

FOLATE IS A GENERIC reference to the B-complex vitamin that boasts heart-healthy benefits. The form of folate used in vitamin supplements and fortified foods such as ­cereals is known as folic acid, the most oxidized, stable form of folate, according to the Institute of Medicine, a branch of the National Academy of Sciences whose researchers advise the federal government. Folic acid rarely occurs in foods; fruits and vegetables contain folate, which isn’t as well absorbed by the body as folic acid.

In January of 1998, the U. S. Food and Drug Administration required that more folic acid be added to cereals, enriched breads, flours, rice, grits, and other grain products in hopes of reducing the annual number of cases of birth defects. The recommended daily intake is 400 mg for adults.

Arthritis relief from ­vitamin E

Vitamin E may help ease arthritis pain with its mild analgesic effect, research shows.

In a double-blind, randomized study published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, forty-two patients with rheumatoid arthritis were given 600 mg of vitamin E or a placebo twice daily for twelve weeks. Inflammation was not affected by the treatment, but pain was reduced by a small but significant amount

Fish oil

Inflammation-fighter from the sea

THESE DAYS, the dietary availability of omega-3 fatty acids in the United States is only 20 percent of what it was a century ago. This precipitous plunge is cause for concern. Why? Simply because many cellular chemical signals are dependent on these fatty acids.

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