Folic Acid News and Research

RSS

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.

Subclinical inflammation predicts macular disease

Levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein predict the risk for age-related macular degeneration and diabetic macular edema, show results of two independent studies published in JAMA Ophthalmology.

27 Feb 2013

Caffeine intake during pregnancy associated with low birth weight babies

Maternal nutrition is important to a developing embryo and to the health of the child later in life. Supplementing the diet with specific vitamins is known to increase health of the foetus for example folic acid (vitamin B9) reduces the risk of spina bifida. However not everything an adult might consume is beneficial to a developing baby.

19 Feb 2013

Periconceptional folic acid intake may reduce risk of autistic disorder in children

In a study that included approximately 85,000 Norwegian children, maternal use of supplemental folic acid from 4 weeks before to 8 weeks after the start of pregnancy was associated with a lower risk of autistic disorder in children, according to a study appearing in the February 13 issue of JAMA.

13 Feb 2013

Folic acid supplements reduce risk of giving birth to children with autism

Women who took folic acid supplements in early pregnancy almost halved the risk of having a child with autism. Beginning to take folic acid supplements later in pregnancy did not reduce the risk.

13 Feb 2013

Paternal obesity may alter genetic mechanisms in next generations

A father's obesity is one factor that may influence his children's health and potentially raise their risk for diseases like cancer, according to new research from Duke Medicine.

6 Feb 2013

Cancer risk independent of folic acid supplementation

Folic acid supplementation does not increase or decrease the risk for cancer, suggests research published in The Lancet.

28 Jan 2013

Short-term use of folic acid supplements unlikely to increase cancer risk

...

25 Jan 2013

Taking antiepileptic drug valproate during pregnancy affects the IQ of children

Research published in The Lancet Neurology shows that taking the antiepileptic drug valproate during pregnancy affects the IQ of children up to the age of six.

23 Jan 2013

New review examines role of nutrition in sarcopenia

Sarcopenia, or the gradual loss of muscle mass, is a common consequence of ageing, and poses a significant risk factor for disability in older adults. As muscle strength plays an important role in the tendency to fall, sarcopenia leads to an increased risk of fractures and other injuries.

19 Jan 2013

Lack of Mthfd1l enzyme causes neural tube defects in developing embryos

Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have discovered that the lack of a critical enzyme in the folic acid metabolic pathway leads to neural tube birth defects in developing embryos.

18 Jan 2013

March of Dimes book offers scientifically-based advice for pregnant women, tips for new parents

Taking a daily multivitamin containing the B vitamin folic acid is one of the best ways to prevent birth defects and an important step toward having a healthy baby, yet only about one-third of women know about it.

4 Jan 2013

Two genetic factors strongly associated with non-syndromic sagittal craniosynostosis

An international team of geneticists, pediatricians, surgeons and epidemiologists from 23 institutions across three continents has identified two areas of the human genome associated with the most common form of non-syndromic craniosynostosis ― premature closure of the bony plates of the skull.

18 Nov 2012

No link between folic acid, vitamin B6 and 12 and increased risk of colorectal adenoma

Combined folic acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 supplements had no statistically significant effect on the risk of colorectal adenoma among women who were at high risk for cardiovascular disease, according to a study published October 12 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

15 Oct 2012

Study finds how MAIT cells recognize products of vitamin B synthesis from bacteria and yeast

An Australian research team has discovered how specialised immune cells recognise products of vitamin B synthesis that are unique to bacteria and yeast, triggering the body to fight infection.

11 Oct 2012

USPTO grants five-year extension to Spectrum's FOLOTYN patent

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, a biotechnology company with fully integrated commercial and drug development operations with a primary focus in hematology and oncology, today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has extended by five years the U.S. Patent No. 6,028,071, which covers FOLOTYN (pralatrexate injection).

8 Oct 2012

Lilly announces new data from two Phase II ramucirumab trials on NSCLC

Eli Lilly and Company today announced new data from two Phase II ramucirumab (IMC-1121B) trials in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

1 Oct 2012

Maternal choline intake could essentially change fetal genetic expression into adulthood

Just as women are advised to get plenty of folic acid around the time of conception and throughout early pregnancy, new research suggests another very similar nutrient may one day deserve a spot on the obstetrician's list of recommendations.

24 Sep 2012

CIRT to determine whether methotrexate can reduce heart attacks, strokes and CVD deaths

An international multi-site trial has launched to determine whether a common anti-inflammatory drug can reduce heart attacks, strokes, and deaths due to cardiovascular disease in people at high risk for them. This study is being supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), a part of the National Institutes of Health.

22 Aug 2012

Anemia prevention in pregnancy: an interview with Juan Pablo Peña-Rosas, WHO

Anaemia is a condition in which the number of red blood cells in the body is lower than normal or these have lower amounts of haemoglobin, a protein that is involved in the oxygen exchange of the body.

10 Aug 2012

Anemia prevention in pregnancy works just as well with fewer iron supplements

Taking iron supplements one to three times a week instead of every day is just as effective at preventing anaemia in pregnant women, according to the findings of a new Cochrane systematic review. The authors of the review also showed that women experienced fewer side effects when taking iron supplements intermittently rather than daily.

11 Jul 2012