folic acid reduces alzheimer's and stroke

Folic Acid supplements reduce strokes, Alzheimers and possibly heart disease

Folic acid is routinely given to  pregnant women to prevent neural tube defects ( spina bifida and hydrocephalus), and is routinely added to  many breads and other foods because it is deficient in many diets.  

 However despite the fact low folic acid can lead to:  Raised homocysteine which is associated with coronary artery disease, Depression, diabetes and some forms of cancer - trials of supplementing people with folic acid have been disappointing - with little benefit seen, but none have shown any adverse effects. 
A number of recent studies however suggest that taking folic acid supplements might be very beneficial:

1. Reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease - in a study of  579 elderly non demented American men and women (click here) , those who took folic acid supplements had a 50% reduction in developing Alzheimer's in the subsequent 10 years. 
2. Reduces risk of stroke in people with high blood pressure - a presentation at the 2015 American College of Cardiology reviewed the China Stroke Primary Prevention trial.  They followed for 4.5 years, over 20,000 men and women with high blood pressure, half were given the BP reducing agent enalapril, and half took an enalapril combination tablet containing 0.8mg of folic acid.   The addition of folic acid reduced the development of stroke by 21%.   
3. May possibly reduce coronary heart disease.   In many trials using folic acid in patients with heart disease, aspirin was also given to the patients, and this may have a similar action to  folic acid and so mask any benefit from the folic acid. A London group reviewed 75 studies using folic acid (click here) in people with the MTHFR gene which raises homocysteine levels.  In the 5 trials with the lowest aspirin use, there was a 60% reduction in heart disease, but the 5 studies with the highest aspirin use, there was only a minimal insignificant benefit seen. 

So folic acid supplementation may reduce some cancers and coronary heart disease, but has now been shown to reduce the development of Alzheimer's disease and strokes (in people with high blood pressure).  

It does seem prudent  for everyone to take a good multivitamin supplement regularly that includes at least 0.5mg of  folic acid.