Got Folate?

BOSTON (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- Want an easy way to prevent memory loss and lower your blood pressure? A mystery vitamin may improve your body and mind.

Popeye has the right idea. Spinach makes your body strong. Part of the reason: It contains folate. And now doctors are discovering folate-rich foods like bananas, tomatoes, lentils, nuts and whole grains are also good for your mind and heart!

In a Tufts University study, men on a high-folate diet had sharper cognitive skills three years later. The study measured men's' verbal skills and their ability to copy complex figures -- difficult tasks for those with failing memories.

"You have to visualize it spatially, locate it in your brain, and then tell your hand to draw it," says Katherine Tucker, Ph.D., a nutritional epidemiologist at the USDA Nutrition Center at Tufts in Boston.

Doctors say folate opens up blood vessels, which helps your brain function, and can prevent another health problem. In another study, younger women who consumed at least 1,000 micrograms of folate a day were 46-percent less likely to develop high blood pressure than those who consumed less than 200 micrograms.

"It's a huge cardiovascular risk factor, and the idea that folate may be able to reduce the risk of high blood pressure is very exciting," says kidney specialist John P. Forman, M.D., of Brigham and Women's Hospital, also in Boston.

One cup of raw spinach contains 60 micrograms, and just a handful nuts has 40. Add some bread and fruit, and you'll be on your way to getting the recommended 400 micrograms a day ... And a healthy mind and body!

Not getting enough folate is also linked to a number of cancers. As for health risks from a high-folate diet, experts say it can cause seizures for those taking anti-convulsant medications.

This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.