Folates and aging: Role in mild cognitive impairment, dementia and depression.

In almost all tissues, including the brain, folates are required for one-carbon transfer reactions, which are essential for the synthesis of DNA and RNA nucleotides, the metabolism of amino acids and the occurrence of methylation reactions. The aim of this paper is to review the impact of folate status on the risk of development of neuropsychiatric disorders in older individuals. The prevalence of folate deficiency is high among individuals aged ≥ 65 years mainly due to reduced dietary intake and intestinal malabsorption.