Folic acid positive effects

An analysis of the efficacy of folic acid supplementation in stroke prevention has been performed at Northwestern University School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois. In this analysis of controlled randomized trials studying the effect of folic acid supplementation on stroke prevention, it was concluded that folic acid does indeed decrease the risk of stroke. Using a random effects model, it was concluded that folic acid reduced the risk of stroke by 18%. In addition, it was found that supplementation lasting for more than 36 months has a higher prevention effect. Subjects whose homocystine concentration decreased by more than 20% have higher chances of stroke reduction. Subjects with no history of stroke also have a reduced propensity for stroke. The conclusion of the authors was that folic acid supplementation may effectively decrease the risk of stroke in a primary prevention setting.

Dietary intake of folate and risk of endometrial cancer was studied at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn. In this population-based case a control study involving over 1200 subjects with newly diagnosed endometrial cancer and about the same number of control subjects between 30 and 69 years, dietary intake of folate was found to decrease the risk of endometrial cancer. The results found dietary intake of folate to be significantly related in decreasing the risk of endometrial cancer in all subjects. Participants who have higher intake of folic acid had the greatest reduction in the risk of endometrial cancer. No associations were found between dietary intake of vitamin B2, B6 and B12 on endometrial cancer risk. This finding suggests that folate intake may decrease the risk of endometrial cancer.

The scientists from the Cancer Council in Melbourne Australia studied folate influence on the risk of breast cancer associated with alcohol consumption. In this perspective study which involved more than 17,000 women living in Melbourne, Australia, it was found that among females consuming alcohol, medium to high daily intake of folate (at least 400 mcg a day) protected against increased risk of breast cancer, otherwise associated with alcohol consumption. The participants of this study were women ages 47 to 69 yeas old. During this time, 537 new cases of invasive breast cancer were detected. The rate for breast cancer in females who were using at least 40 gram of alcohol daily at baseline was 1.41 as compared with lifetime non-alcohol users. It means that the risk of developing breast cancer was 41% higher compared to non-alcohol drinkers. However, females who were drinking alcohol and consuming at least 400 mg of folic acid a day had the risk of developing invasive breast cancer at 0.77 which was 33% lower than in non-alcohol user group. Therefore, the adequate intake of folate may modify the association between the risk of breast cancer and alcohol consumption. Specifically, folate may protect against an increased risk of breast cancer associated with alcohol use. This study was published in the British Medical Journal in 2005.

Low folate levels were found to increase the risk of cognitive and functional deficit in the very old population. This study was conducted in Milan, Italy and published in the Journal of American College of Nutrition in 2006. This cross-sectional study involved 471 participants. A significant positive correlation was observed between serum folate concentration and cognitive and functional ability. Cognitive and functional abilities were evaluated based on scores from mental state examination as well as other psychological and behavioral assessment tests. Significant positive correlations were observed between serum folate concentration and performance on those tests. The subjects in the low and middle folate level groups were found to have a significantly increased risk of developing dementia. The conclusion of the study was that subclinical folate deficiency may represent a risk factor for the cognitive decline associated with aging. It could also contribute to Alzheimer’s disease as well as other dementia development.