葉酸(維生素B9)能減少癡呆的風險嗎

Vitamin B9 is also known as folic acid or folate. Technically, folate is the term for the vitamin B9 that is found naturally in foods, while folic acid is the name for the synthetic supplement that is added to foods and vitamins.

維生素B9也稱爲葉酸片或葉酸。從學術上講葉酸存在於天然的食物中，是維生素B9的術語,而葉酸片是人工合成物，添加到食品中補充維生素。

Adequate amounts of folic acid have commonly been recommended to prevent birth defects such as spina bifida. But, did you know that getting enough folate has also been associated with a reduced risk of developing dementia?

充足的葉酸可以預防出生缺陷，已經被推薦使用在如脊柱裂預防上。但是,你知道嗎是否得到足夠的葉酸還可大大降低患癡呆症的風險嗎?

The Research

研究調查

One study conducted involved 166 people: 47 of whom were diagnosed with Alzheimer's, 41 with vascular dementia and 36 with a mixed dementia diagnosis. Additionally, 42 people who did not have cognitive impairment were also included in the study. Researchers measured each participants' levels of folate and, after reviewing the results, they found that people with dementia had significantly lower levels of folic acid as compared to those without dementia.

開展一項涉及166人的研究：其中47人被診斷爲老年癡呆症,41人患血管性癡呆和36人確診爲混合癡呆。此外,在這項研究中還包括42個沒有認知障礙的人。研究人員測量每個參與者的葉酸水平，在評估結果後，他們發現與那些沒有癡呆症患者相比，癡呆症患者的葉酸水平顯著降低。

A second study reviewed multiple research studies and concluded that low folic acid levels clearly were associated with the presence of both mild cognitive impairment and dementia.

第二項研究回顧了多項研究,並指出低的葉酸水平與輕度認知障礙和癡呆現象是有聯繫的。

Does Adding Folic Acid to Your Diet Help?

在你的飲食中添加葉酸有幫助嗎?

Possibly, although the results are not conclusive thus far.

儘管到目前爲止結果並不是肯定的，但存在可能。

One study involving 900 older adults who lived in their own homes found that long-term supplementation with vitamin B12 and folate improved memory.

一項研究涉及900名住在自己的家裏的老年人，研究發現長期補充維生素B12和葉酸可改善記憶。

Another study which involved administering folic acid to rats found that both short-term and long term memory improved. (Whether this would translate to humans is unknown.)

另一項研究是關於對老鼠的葉酸實驗，發現可改善短期和長期的記憶。(這是否能轉化爲人類所用尚未知曉)