B-12, folate and cognitive function

Older people who are deficient in vitamin B12 may be at increased risk of developing anaemia and cognitive impairment if they take in too much folate, according to research in the US. Dr Martha Savaria Morris and colleagues at Tufts University, in Boston, say in their study sample of nearly 1500, subjects with low serum B-12 and high serum folate were 2.6 times more likely than average to have cognitive impairment and 3.1 times more likely to have anaemia. However, in those with normal B-12 levels, high levels of folate were protective against cognitive impairment.

Reuters