Folic Acid & the Brain

The B vitamins are workhorses. They help to convert your food into ready energy, and they play a key role in metabolizing proteins and fats. There are eight total B-complex vitamins, each with individual functions in addition to B-complex duties. Vitamin B-9, or folic acid, plays an important role in brain development and overall mental health, and folic acid deficiency can lead to birth defects and clinical depression.

Normal Brain Function

Folic acid is a key factor in healthy brain function. Cognition, memory and information processing are all negatively impacted when lower levels of serum folate are present, according to a study published in the January 2007 edition of “The Lancet.” Lead author Dr. Jane Durga found that folic acid supplementation for sustained periods increased the study subjects’ test scores measuring cognitive function.

Mental Health

Folic acid contributes to the production of S-adenosylmethionine, or SAM, which is necessary for healthy neurological function. Additionally, folic acid deficiency is characterized by increased plasma homocysteine. There are now mountains of data linking both decreased SAM and increased plasma homocysteine to depression, according to a study by A. Coppen, et al., and published in the January 2005 issue of the "Journal of Pharmacology." Common treatment protocols include folic acid supplements for depressive patients as the deficiency also makes them less responsive to antidepressant medications.

Neural Tube Defects

A group of related birth defects involving the spine and brain, called neural tube defects, are directly linked to folic acid deficiency in pregnant women. The disorders include spina bifida, encephalocele and anencephaly. The latter two usually result in still birth or death shortly after birth as the brain and skull never fully develop, while spina bifida patients can live to adulthood. The defects take place in the first few weeks after fertilization, often when the expectant mother is unaware of the pregnancy, so women who are considering having children are encouraged to supplement with folic acid.

Alzheimer's

Folic acid’s ability to enhance cognition may be responsible for delaying the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. In a 2007 study published in the journal “Archives of Neurology,” lead researcher Jose Luchsinger found that, of the 986 seniors in the study, those with the highest levels of folic acid from both diet and supplements were least likely to develop Alzheimer’s. Conflicting studies, however, have found correlation between high levels of folic acid and increased incidence of Alzheimer’s, so far more research is needed.