DROPPING “Brain Nutrient” Sends Dementia Risk SOARING
If you’re a senior (or will be in a few years), you’re facing potential “double trouble” when it comes to your nutrition.
- First, your appetite starts to shrink just as your nutritional needs GROW.
- Second, your body becomes LESS efficient at absorbing nutrients.
Both are behind the common nutrient deficiencies many of us experience as we age. Toss in a less-than-healthy Western diet, and it could be a setup for sickness.
But if you’ve found yourself battling vague and seemingly unconnected symptoms… such as muscle weakness, fatigue, and perhaps even occasional confusion… one deficiency, in particular, could be to blame.
Even WORSE, research has revealed this nutrient shortfall could send your risk for dementia climbing.
There’s a good chance you haven’t heard of vitamin B9. But I bet you know this nutrient by its more common name, folate.
This hard-working vitamin does a bunch of things to keep us healthy. Folate helps make red blood cells, for example. And sufficient folate levels are needed to maintain healthy hair, skin, nails, and eyes.
This potent nutrient impacts your mental health. And it’s CRITICAL for healthy brain function.
I’ve been recommending it – and the rest of the B vitamins – to fight memory loss for YEARS. So when researchers announced a link between folate levels and dementia, I wasn’t surprised.
The study focused on 27,000 dementia-free seniors, ages 60-75.
The researchers determined that the participants who were deficient in folate had a…
- 68-fold increased risk of dementia, and a
- 98-fold increased risk of dying during that time.
More research needs to be done to confirm it, of course. But there’s a good chance the risk increases are because folate deficiency can cause your brain to shrink.
Low folate affects the hippocampus in particular, which in turn can contribute to memory loss and dementia.
Wondering if YOU’RE deficient in folate? There are some tell-tale signs to look for, including…
- fatigue or lack of energy
- pins and needles sensations
- a sore tongue
- mouth ulcers
- muscle weakness
- confusion
- depression
But if you suspect you may be deficient, a blood test is by far the best way to confirm it.
Either way, eating foods rich in folate is a good idea to protect your overall health and your BRAIN in particular. And that’s especially true if you’re IN… or heading into… your senior years.
These foods include dark leafy greens, eggs, avocados, liver, shellfish, beans, and legumes.
But keep in mind the MOST common cause of dementia is Alzheimer’s. And incredibly, cases of this devastating disease are projected to TRIPLE in the next 40 years.
That means if you’re not already thinking about ways to reduce your risk for Alzheimer’s, you SHOULD be. And don’t worry, I can help.
I’m working on a comprehensive Alzheimer’s protocol that I’m excited to be bringing you in the near future. Be on the lookout for more details on that in the coming days.
P.S. A study published in the European Journal of Nutrition recently uncovered a game-changing piece of the Alzheimer’s puzzle. This mighty mineral could SLOW brain aging and drives down dementia risk. CLICK HERE for the surprising scoop.
SOURCE:
“Serum folate deficiency and the risks of dementia and all-cause mortality: a national study of old age,” BMJ Ment Health 2022;25:63-68.
