Folic Acid News and Research

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Folic acid is a B vitamin. It helps the body make healthy new cells. Everyone needs folic acid. For women who may get pregnant, it is really important. When a woman has enough folic acid in her body before and during pregnancy, it can prevent major birth defects of her baby's brain or spine.

Foods with folic acid in them include leafy green vegetables, fruits, dried beans, peas and nuts. Enriched breads, cereals and other grain products also contain folic acid. If you don't get enough folic acid from the foods you eat, you can also take it as a dietary supplement.

East African newborns nearly five times more likely to have neural tube defects

Newborns, whose brains, spines or spinal cords do not properly develop in utero, can be born with neural tube defects (NTD), increasing their risk of physical disabilities, intellectual impairments and death.

30 Jun 2022

Vitamins are a waste of money for non-pregnant and healthy Americans, scientists say

Drawn to the allure of multivitamins and dietary supplements filling nutritional gaps in their diet, people in the U.S. in 2021 spent close to $50 billion on vitamins and dietary supplements.

21 Jun 2022

Maternity Disparities Taskforce focuses on supporting women’s health before and during pregnancy

Minister for Women's Health Minister Maria Caulfield and Chief Midwifery Officer Professor Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent co-chaired the second meeting of the Maternity Disparities Taskforce this week (Monday 16 May 2022).

18 May 2022

Inexpensive daily diet supplementation in pregnancy can reduce complications at birth, study shows

A six-year study of nearly 100,000 women in Botswana has provided new evidence that relatively inexpensive daily diet supplementation of iron, folic acid and vitamin supplementation in pregnancy can reduce complications at birth.

11 May 2022

COVID-19 may affect a group of biochemical reactions called one-carbon metabolism

A new study addresses the relationship between SARS-CoV-2 to the metabolism of one-carbon molecules in the host, suggesting new therapeutic pathways.

13 Apr 2022

Serum folate deficiency in older people may be associated with heightened dementia and death risks

Low levels of folate (vitamin B9) in the blood may be linked to a heightened risk of dementia and death from any cause in older people, suggests research published online in the journal Evidence Based Mental Health.

16 Mar 2022

Study suggests folic acid supplementation linked to increased risk for COVID-19 diagnosis

In a recent study posted to the medRxiv* preprint server, researchers evaluated if folic acid or methotrexate use impacts the risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) diagnosis or associated mortality in the United Kingdom (UK).

15 Feb 2022

Folic acid-like drug reprograms DNA methylome of aggressive brain tumors

A folic acid-like drug, L-methylfolate, when administered alongside the standard therapy for patients with recurrent glioblastoma, changed aDNA process within their brain tumors, according to results from a phase 1 clinical trial.

5 Jan 2022

Researchers use machine learning to shed light on genetic mutations linked with spina bifida

Weill Cornell Medicine researchers are using machine learning, a form of artificial intelligence, to shed light on genetic mutations associated with spina bifida.

20 Dec 2021

Maternal anemia during pregnancy may increase risk of childhood anemia

Babies born to women with anemia during pregnancy have an increased risk of childhood anemia, according to a study carried out in rural India.

2 Dec 2021

Analysis: Keto diets place pregnant women and kidney disease patients at risk of adverse health effects

In the most comprehensive analysis yet of ketogenic (keto) diets, a review in Frontiers in Nutrition finds keto diets place pregnant women and kidney disease patients at risk of adverse health effects.

3 Aug 2021

Pregnant women in South-East Asia more likely to use smokeless tobacco

Pregnant women in South-East Asia are more likely to use chewing or other kinds of smokeless tobacco than non-pregnant women of reproductive age, according to a study.

27 Jul 2021

Exploring links between stress, choline deficiency, preterm births, and mental illness

In two recent articles published in Schizophrenia Bulletin, Sharon Hunter, PhD, an associate professor in the University of Colorado School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry, and M. Camille Hoffman, MD, MSc, an associate professor in the University of Colorado School of Medicine Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, along with their research group, have uncovered a potential link between choline deficiency in Black pregnant women in the United States and increased risk of developmental and behavioral issues that can evolve into mental illness later in their children's lives.

7 Jul 2021

Which vitamins and minerals help with COVID?

A study published in the journal Inflammopharmacology reviewed recent data related to the role of vitamins and minerals in treating COVID-19 patients. The primary goal of the review is to highlight the possible therapeutic role of vitamins A, B, C, D, E and K, and micronutrients as immunity boosters in COVID-19 patients.

18 Jun 2021

Digital healthcare could help deliver tailored advice to women experiencing pregnancy difficulties

Personalized coaching through a smartphone platform can help women improve their lifestyle behaviors in the period before and shortly after they become pregnant, a new study has shown.

17 Jun 2021

Scientists identify many existing drugs with antiviral activity against coronavirus

Mining the world's most comprehensive drug repurposing collection for COVID-19 therapies, scientists have identified 90 existing drugs or drug candidates with antiviral activity against the coronavirus that's driving the ongoing global pandemic.

3 Jun 2021

Fish oil supplementation during pregnancy leads to improved memory in children

Children born to mothers who took fish oil in their pregnancies have been shown to have faster problem-solving skills and better attention focus at age 10, according to findings from a study presented today at the 6th World Congress of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition.

29 May 2021

Are COVID-19 medications safe in pregnancy?

Most medications being tested today in clinical trials for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been repurposed from other indications. These are typically not tested in pregnant women. A new study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, summarizes what is known about the safety of these drugs in this group.

24 May 2021

Probiotic strain improves iron levels in healthy pregnant women

A new study published in Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica found that taking a particular probiotic strain improves iron levels in healthy pregnant women and may therefore help to prevent iron deficiency.

21 Apr 2021

New approach may lead to novel treatments for renal fibrosis

Ageing is a common factor in many diseases. So, what if it were possible to treat them by acting on the causes of ageing or, more specifically, by acting on the shortening of telomeres, the structures that protect chromosomes?

16 Mar 2021