Folic acid and diseases - supplement it or not?

Abstract

Introduction: folic acid is a water soluble vitamin, which is synthetically-produced and found in fortified foods and supplements. Folate is found naturally in plants, such as the dark green leafy vegetables. Folate is not synthesized de novo by humans, therefore the daily requirements are met from the dietary intake of folic acid supplements or food rich in this vitamin. Folate deficiency could lead to numerous common health problems. Hyperhomocysteinemia and the possibility of malignancy developments are the long term consequences of this deficit albeit contradictory findings on these claims. Methods: the articles included in this review focused on recent updated evidence-based reports and meta-analyses on the associations of the serum folate/ folic acid and the various diseases found globally. Results: the benefit of folic acid supplementation in the pre-conception period for the prevention of neural tube defects (NTDs) was well established and it was suggested that counseling sessions should be given to women with previous pregnancies affected by NTDs. However, supplementation of folic acid and its medicinal effects in the treatment of other diseases were contradictory and unclear. Conclusion: more detailed investigations into the health benefits of folic acid are needed before it could be recommended for supplementation, treatment or prevention of some of the diseases discussed in this review.

Folate and Its Impact on Cancer Risk

“…Methionine is converted to S -adenosylmethionine (SAM). SAM is a chief methyl contributor to many reactions in the body, including DNA and RNA methylation [ 6 ]. Inadequate production of SAM may lead to decreased methylation of CpG islands in DNA affecting gene transcription, altering expression of tumor suppressor genes and proto-oncogenes [ 6 , 7 ].…”

“…SAM is a chief methyl contributor to many reactions in the body, including DNA and RNA methylation [ 6 ]. Inadequate production of SAM may lead to decreased methylation of CpG islands in DNA affecting gene transcription, altering expression of tumor suppressor genes and proto-oncogenes [ 6 , 7 ]. Furthermore, folate deficiency can impair conversion of deoxyuridine monophosphate (dUMP) to deoxythymidine monophosphate (dTMP), the nucleic acid necessary for DNA synthesis and repair [ 6 , 7 ].…”

Epigenetics and One Carbon Metabolism: The Role of Folate and Vitamin B12

“…20 Folat veya folik asit, metabolizmada önemli rol oynayan suda çözünen bir B vitaminidir. 22 Folat, DNA sentezinden genetik regülasyonuna kadar pek çok biyolojik süreç için gerekli olan nükleik asitlerin, aminoasitlerin ve metil donörlerin sentezi için gerekmektedir. 23 Tek karbon metabolizmasında, THF'ye dönüştürülmekte ve biyolojik olarak aktif formu olan 5-metiltetrahidrofolata (5-MTHF) metabolize edilir.…”

New Advances about the Effect of Vitamins on Human Health: Vitamins Supplements and Nutritional Aspects

“…Vitamin B9: intervention trials with folic acid in pregnant women stated that the supplementation reduces the occurrence of neural tube defects (NTD) [37][38][39]. In USA for instance, the use of folic acid supplements was legally established by the end of 1990, which reduced significantly (20-27%) the prevalence of neural tube defects at birth [19].…”