Assessing Potential Risks of Folic Acid

BOSTON and WASHINGTON— Two reviews appearing in the April issue of the journal Nutrition Reviews assess the dual positive and negative effects of folate intake.

According to the reviews, inadequate folate intake remains prevalent in many countries and there is concern that the synthetic form of the vitamin, folic acid, might have adverse effects that do not exist with natural sources of folate.

As reported by EurkAlert, adequate intake of folate appears protective against cancer, most notably colorectal cancer. In select circumstances in which an individual who harbors a pre-cancerous or cancerous tumor consumes too much folic acid, the additional amounts of folate may instead facilitate the promotion of cancer. In countries in which the fortification of flour with folic acid is working well, additional supplementation in the form of vitamin pills can lead to excessive intakes of the vitamin, which can then have undesirable adverse effects.

Researchers concluded that folate appears to assume different guises. Depending on the circumstances and the level of intake, this micronutrient may be safe for one person and potentially harmful to another.