Posted Mar 9, 2011
This just in: Folate, that enriching B vitamin, can help slow age-related hearing loss. Eh – what’s that? Folate can help … you get the idea. Take our quiz about folate’s benefits.
1 According to a study in the Journal of Nutrition, subjects over age 50 who had low folate levels were how much more likely to experience hearing loss?
a) 39 percent
b) 29 percent
c) 19 percent
2 Researchers have theorized that elevated levels of homocysteine, which folate has been shown to lower in the body, cause the hearing loss. What is homocysteine?
a) A peptide hormone released by the stomach that, among other things, activates hunger.
b) An amino acid in the blood that can cause vascular disease.
c) A mineral, absorbed by the tissues, that nourishes muscle mitochondria.
3 What is the daily value for folate?
a) 400 micrograms
b) 4,000 micrograms
c) 2 grams
4 Which food, at 45 percent of the daily value, is among the highest in folate?
a) asparagus, four spears
b) black-eyed peas, half a cup
c) beef liver, 3 ounces
5 Why is folate important for pregnant women?
a) It helps grow cells during rapid cell division.
b) It’s a nutrient needed to prevent anemia.
c) Both a and b.
ANSWERS: 1: a; 2: b; 3: a; 4: c; 5: c
-http://tuftshealthletter.com; Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institutes of Health (http://ods.od.nih.gov)