Many adults over the age of 50 are deficient in key vitamins that are essential for brain health and nerve function, a new Irish study has found.

According to the findings, one in eight adults in Ireland over the age of 50 is deficient in vitamin B12, while one in seven is deficient in folate, which is the natural form of vitamin B9 that is linked to the dietary supplement, folic acid.

These vitamins are essential for brain health, nerve function, and the production of red blood cells and DNA.

Many previous studies have shown that low levels of B12 and folate are linked to poorer long-term health, particularly among older people.

The study was carried out by researchers from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) at Trinity College Dublin. TILDA is an ongoing study of people over the age of 50 in Ireland.

It found that one in eight adults was low to deficient in vitamin B12 and this was more common among smokers, people who lived alone and those from poorer backgrounds.

One in seven adults was low or deficient in folate and the prevalence of this increased with age, from 14% among those aged 50-60 years, to 23% among those aged over 80.

Low folate status was also more common among smokers, obese people and those from poorer backgrounds.

The study also found that use of both vitamin B12 and folic acid supplementation was low. While women tended to use supplements more than men, less than 4% of people overall were taking supplements of either vitamin.

According to the study's lead author, Dr Eamon Laird, this is the most comprehensive study of vitamin B12 and folate status in older adults ever conducted in Ireland.

"There are striking differences in the prevalence of deficiency across different lifestyle factors, such as obesity and smoking, both of which are modifiable risk factors. Our findings will provide useful data to help inform public health policy, particularly regarding the proposition of mandatory folic acid and/or vitamin B12 fortification," he commented.

He highlighted the fact that in the US, where mandatory folic acid fortification occurs, rates of low folate status are around 1.2% in older adults compared with 15% in Ireland.

Meanwhile according to the study's senior author, Prof Anne Molloy, the findings in relation to inadequate folate levels are surprising, given the ‘many years of voluntary folic acid fortification of certain foods on the Irish market'.

"Concerns relating to excessive folic acid intake, particularly in older people, have been at the heart of current debates regarding the risks of population-wide folic acid fortification.

"However, in countries such as the US, mandatory folic acid food fortification for the past 20 years has prevented millions of cases of folate deficiency without any proven adverse effects. Irish public health authorities need to act on the facts from studies such as oursm" she insisted.

Also commenting on the findings, principal TILDA investigator, Prof Rose Anne Kenny, expressed concern about the high rates of B-vitamin deficiency in the older population.

"These are of concern and, given that this can be easily treated with fortification, this has significant policy and practice implications for Government and health services," she said.

For more information on TILDA, click here