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.

Folic acid improves memory and protects the brain from aging

According to scientists in Holland high doses of folic acid might help slow the cognitive decline of aging.

22 Jun 2005

Nanotechnology used to smuggle a powerful chemotherapeutic drug inside tumor cells

University of Michigan scientists have created the nanotechnology equivalent of a Trojan horse to smuggle a powerful chemotherapeutic drug inside tumor cells - increasing the drug's cancer-killing activity and reducing its toxic side effects.

15 Jun 2005

Polypill improves survival rates for heart disease sufferers

A ‘polypill’ made up of a combination of drugs could extend the lives of thousands of patients with coronary heart disease, say researchers at The University of Nottingham.

10 May 2005

Drug combinations improve survival for patients with heart disease

Patients with coronary heart disease who take a combination of three specific drugs have a better chance of survival than those taking single drugs, finds a study in this week's BMJ.

5 May 2005

Neural tube defects decrease with folic acid fortification

A new study published online April 21, 2005 in the American Journal of Medical Genetics Part A examines whether the recent decline in neural tube defects in Chile was due to the addition of folic acid to wheat flour in that country or to pre-existing decreasing trends. The journal is available online via Wiley InterScience.

21 Apr 2005

People who eat rice have healthier diets

People who eat rice have healthier diets, eat more fruits and vegetables, consume less added sugar and fat and are likely to have a lower body mass index than non-rice eaters, according to a new study presented for the first time today at a meeting of two key member groups of the American Dietetic Association.

12 Apr 2005

Animi-3 may offer hope for rheumatoid arthritis

Animi-3, a prescription medication from PBM Pharmaceuticals, Inc., contains ingredients that may have a beneficial, protective effect in inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

7 Apr 2005

The facts on prenatal care

The nine months of pregnancy come complete with a rich folklore, from guessing at a baby’s sex by the expectant mother’s shape to home remedies for morning sickness. Along with these ageless stories and advice, women also face a variety of recommendations from the modern world of medicine on how best to take care of themselves during pregnancy.

3 Apr 2005

KCP protein protects kidneys from damage caused by chronic renal disease and injury

University of Michigan scientists have identified a new and unusual protein that reduces, in laboratory mice, kidney damage caused by chronic renal disease and acute toxic injuries.

28 Mar 2005

Anticonvulsant drug valproate poses greater birth-defect risk than suspected

Use of the anticonvulsant drug valproate during pregnancy may pose a significantly great risk of birth defects than does use of other antiseizure medications.

22 Mar 2005

Brewing up potential anti-cancer drugs from green tea

Drinking green tea has a protective effect against some forms of cancer but drinking large amounts can increase the risk of birth defects such as spina bifida – according to previous epidemiological studies.

15 Mar 2005

European folic acid policies are not effective enough

The prevalence of neural tube defects in Europe has not declined substantially in the past decade, despite national policies of folic acid supplementation in half the countries, finds a study in this week's BMJ.

13 Mar 2005

Increases in macronutrient consumption during pregnancy can lead to increased birthweight

Giving pregnant women in the developing world a daily supplement containing 10 vitamins and five minerals could help increase the birthweight of their babies, concludes a study published online by The Lancet.

3 Mar 2005

$Vitamin B12 after stroke reduces risk of hip fracture$

Vitamin B12 after stroke reduces risk of hip fracture

Patients who took folic acid and vitamin B12 after their stroke had a reduced risk of hip fracture compared to patients who took placebo, according to an article in the March 2 issue of JAMA.

1 Mar 2005

Folic acid recommendations have had little impact on incidence of neural tube defects

Recommendations on use of folic acid consumption have had no detectable impact on the incidence of neural tube defects, according to an international study published on bmj.com.

20 Feb 2005

Higher folate intake decreases risk of hypertension in women

John P. Forman, M.D., of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston and colleagues analyzed data from two studies (93,803 younger women aged 27 to 44 years in the Nurses’ Health Study II [1991-1999] and 62,260 older women aged 43 to 70 years in the Nurses’ Health Study I [1990-1998]).

19 Jan 2005

Doctors fail to recognise depressive symptoms in more than 40 per cent of older patients

Dr Jeff Looi, a Senior Lecturer at the ANU Medical School, said that while 15 per cent of Australians over 65 have depression, many are not diagnosed by their GP.

17 Jan 2005

High levels of homocysteine, an amino acid in the blood, may indicate an increased risk of stroke

Observational studies measuring homocysteine concentrations in healthy individuals have found that, on average, those with high levels of homocysteine in their blood are more likely to have a stroke. But other factors that increase homocysteine concentration and stroke risk— such as smoking and socioeconomic class—may be responsible for the relationship observed in these studies, confounding the result.

13 Jan 2005

Stem cells could reveal secrets of illness in later life

Mums to be have known for some time that what they eat when pregnant affects their unborn child but now scientists believe that the diet of our mothers during pregnancy may even affect our predisposition to illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure in late life.

5 Jan 2005

Folate supplementation during pregnancy may increase a mother's long-term risk of breast cancer

Preliminary data published in the BMJ suggest that folate supplementation during pregnancy may increase a mother's long-term risk of breast cancer. Although this may be a chance finding, the results require confirmation, say the authors.

13 Dec 2004