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Older adults whose total folate intake is at or above the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) could cut their risk of developing Alzheimer's disease by more than half. The study, reported in the inaugural issue of the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, is the largest to date to show that the B vitamin folate could prevent Alzheimer's. According to the researchers, study participants who reported intake at or above the 400 microgram recommended daily allowance of folate had a 55 percent reduction in risk in developing Alzheimer’s. Investigators also noted that most people in the study who reached the recommended intake level did so by taking folate supplements, suggesting many people do not get the recommended amount of folate in their diet.

Folate is a B-vitamin nutrient found in foods such as leafy green vegetables, asparagus, broccoli, liver, oranges, and many types of beans and peas. Only 13% of study participants reached the recommended dietary allowance of folate from food alone. Epidemiologists at the University of California collected dietary information from 579 people age 60 and older who showed no sign of Alzheimer's. The volunteers kept track of the food they consumed during a typical week and told the researchers if they were taking vitamin supplements that contained folate. The researchers calculated the total amount of folate consumed and kept track of the recruits for an average of more than 9 years. During that time, 57 people developed Alzheimer's.