Folic Acid

Folic Acid

Folic acid, also known as folate or Vitamin B9, is a member of the vitamin B family. Folic acid is essential for life because it is involved in numerous biological roles. In addition, the human body cannot produce folic acid indigenously and so must be supplied in diet. Folic acid is water soluble and is found in high amounts in green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits and juices and lean meat.

Benefits of Folic Acid

The following are among the extensive benefits of folic acid:

Maintains Healthy Pregnancy

Folic acid is very important for women who are and planning to be pregnant because it helps reduce occurrence of serious neural tube defects (birth defects of the brain, spine, or spinal cord) on the newborn.^[1-2]

Important for Fertility

Folic acid supplementation may help increase total number of healthy sperm in men; regardless of their fertility status.^[3] High intake of folic acid can reduce numbers of abnormal sperm (aneuploidy) in healthy non-smoking men.^[4] In addition, folic acid is important for normal production of sperm cells in men and proper maturation of egg cells in women, and deficiency might lead to reduced fertility.^[5]

Prevents Cancer

Folic acid may help reduce risk of colorectal cancers.^[6] Likewise, folic acid supplementation may help prevent abnormal tissue growth and tumor of the colon and the rectum.^[7-8]

Prevents Cardiovascular Disease

Folic acid is found to be effective in lowering homocysteine concentrations, which high levels are associated with early development of cardiovascular disease.^[9-11]

Lowers Risk of Stroke

Long-term supplementation with folic acid in 82 334 participants reduced the risk of stroke by 10%, which may be due to folic acid’s role in lowering homocysteine concentrations.^[12]

Treats Depression and Improves Mood

Some evidence links folic acid deficiency with depression.^[13] Research at the University of York and Hull York Medical School revealed a strong link between depression and folic acid deficiency.^[14] In another study, folic acid supplementation improved depressive symptoms and overall mood by affecting certain brain receptors such as noradrenaline and serotonin.^[15]

Prevents Vision Loss

A sub study of the Women’s Antioxidant and Folic Acid Cardiovascular Study reported that folic acid supplementation at high doses decreased the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (most common cause of blindness) by 34.7%.^[16]

Helps Normalize Cholesterol Levels

A Polish study found that folic acid supplementation in 124 individuals at a dose of 0.4 mg for 12 weeks was able to significantly reduce low density lipoproteins (bad cholesterol).^[17]

Prevents Cognitive Decline

Research suggests that there may be a link between folic acid levels and brain health. A Korean study of elderly patients found that patients with higher folic acid levels did not suffer from memory decline and impairment in thinking skills.^[18]  

Treats Macrocytic Anemia

Macrocytic anemia is a type of anemia in which the red blood cells are larger than their normal volume. In one study, macrocytic anemia in relapse is promptly relieved by either intramuscular injection or oral administration of folic acid.^[19]

References:

1. Honein M. et al. Impact of folic acid fortification of the US food supply on the occurrence of neural tube defects. JAMA; 285(23) 2981-2986.
2. Berry R. et al. 1999. Prevention of Neural-Tube Defects with Folic Acid in China. New England Journal of Medicine; 341, 1485-1490.
3. Wong W. et al. 2002.Effects of folic acid and zinc sulfate on male factor subfertility: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Fertility and Sterility; 77 (3) 491-498.
4. Young S. et al. 2008. The association of folate, zinc and antioxidant intake with sperm aneuploidy in healthy non-smoking men. Human Reproduction; 23 (5) 1014-1022.
5. Ebisch I. et al. 2007.The importance of folate, zinc and antioxidants in the pathogenesis and prevention of subfertility. Human Reproduction Update; 13 (2) 163-174.
6. Mason J. et al. 2007. A Temporal Association between Folic Acid Fortification and an Increase in Colorectal Cancer Rates May Be Illuminating Important Biological Principles: A Hypothesis. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention; 16, 1325.
7. Lashner B. et al. 1997. The effect of folic acid supplementation on the risk for cancer or dysplasia in ulcerative colitis. Gastroenterology; 112 (1) 29-32.
8. Cole B. et al. 2007. Folic Acid for the Prevention of Colorectal Adenomas, A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA; 297 (21) 2351-2359.
9. Lonn E. et al. 2006. Homocysteine lowering with folic acid and B vitamins in vascular disease. The New England Journal of Medicine; 354 (15) 1567-1577.
10. Malinow M. et al. 1998. Reduction of Plasma Homocyst(e)ine Levels by Breakfast Cereal Fortified with Folic Acid in Patients with Coronary Heart Disease. New England Journal of Medicine; 338, 1009-1015
11. Collaboration HLT. Lowering blood homocysteine with folic acid based supplements: meta-analysis of randomised trials. BMJ : British Medical Journal. 1998;316(7135):894-898.
12. Li Y, Huang T, Zheng Y, Muka T, Troup J, Hu FB (2016). “Folic Acid Supplementation and the Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials”. J Am Heart Assoc. 5 (8).
13. Coppen A, Bolander-Gouaille C (January 2005). “Treatment of depression: time to consider folic acid and vitamin B12”. J. Psychopharmacol. (Oxford). 19 (1): 59–65.
14. Gilbody S, Lewis S, Lightfoot T (January 2007). “Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) genetic polymorphisms and psychiatric disorders: a HuGE review”. Am. J. Epidemiol. 165 (1): 1–13.
15. García-Miss Mdel R, Pérez-Mutul J, López-Canul B, et al. (May 2010). “Folate, homocysteine, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor alfa levels, but not the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T polymorphism, are risk factors for schizophrenia”. J Psychiatr Res. 44 (7): 441–6.
16. Christen WG, Glynn RJ, Chew EY, Albert CM, Manson JE (February 2009). “Folic acid, pyridoxine, and cyanocobalamin combination treatment and age-related macular degeneration in women: the Women’s Antioxidant and Folic Acid Cardiovascular Study”. Arch. Intern. Med. 169 (4): 335–41.
17. Mierzecki A, Koda K, Bukowska H, Chestowski K, Makarewicz-Wujec M, Kozowska-Wojciechowska M. Association between low-dose folic acid supplementation and blood lipids concentrations in male and female subjects with atherosclerosis risk factors. Med Sci Monit. 2013 Sep 4;19:733-9. doi: 10.12659/MSM.889087.
18. Song JH, Park MH, Han C, Jo SA, Ahn K. Serum Homocysteine and Folate Levels are Associated With Late-life Dementia in a Korean Population. Osong Public Health Res Perspect. 2010 Dec;1(1):17-22. doi: 10.1016/j.phrp.2010.12.006.
19. Spies TD. Effect of folic acid on persons with macrocytic anemia in relapse. J Am Med Assoc. 1946;130:474-7.