Folic Acid (fô'lĭk, fŏl'ĭk)

What Is It?

Folic acid, also called folate, is a water soluble B Vitamin with a solid reputation for protecting against birth defects and heart disease. If adults were to get an adequate amount of this vitamin, it is estimated that 50,000 deaths from cardiovascular disease could be prevented each year in the United States alone. Moreover, common birth defects could be cut nearly in half. Other ailments, such as depression, Alzheimer's disease, and certain types of cancer may respond to the effects of folic acid as well. Because the body can't retain this water-soluble vitamin for long--any excess is excreted in the urine--many people have a folic acid deficiency. To make matters worse, half of the folic acid content in foods can be lost through cooking, processing, or long-term storage. This makes supplements (particularly a high-potency multivitamin or a B-vitamin complex) one of the most practical ways to get enough of this vital nutrient .

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Health Benefits

Heart Disease

Folic acid appears to regulate the body's production and use of Homocysteine , an amino acid-like compound that in excess amounts can contribute to the buildup of dangerous plaque in the blood vessels (a precursor of heart disease and stroke). In addition, a small Dutch study has recently shown that by lowering blood levels of homocysteine and improving the ability of the blood vessels to dilate, folic acid may reduce cardiovascular risk in those with a family history of high cholesterol. Another study found that consuming at least 300 mcg of dietary folate every day can lower your risk of stroke by 20 percent and your risk of heart disease by 13 percent. For heart disease prevention, the vitamin is often taken as part of a B-complex supplement.

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Homocysteine, a nonessential, sulfur-containing amino acid , is an independent marker of risk for the development of cardiovascular disease, including ischemic heart disease, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease (fatty deposits in the peripheral arteries). Some researchers consider homocysteine as important a cardiovascular risk factor as low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Homocysteine can make blood clot more easily than normal, increasing the risk of both heart attack and death by heart attack. Inadequate levels of folic acid and vitamins B6 and B12 can lead to increased homocysteine levels. Overwhelming evidence suggests that folate and homocysteine metabolism are closely linked, and that folic acid supplementation lowers plasma total homocysteine substantially. Some new findings indicate that lowering homocysteine may improve endothelial function and thus dramatically reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and heart attack.

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Analysis of the results of 12 homocysteine-lowering trials showed folic acid supplementation (500mcg - 5 mg/day) had the greatest lowering effect on blood homocysteine levels (25% decrease); co-supplementation with folic acid and vitamin B 12 (mean 0.5 mg/day or 500 mcg/day) provided an additional 7% reduction (32% decrease) in blood homocysteine concentrations.

Linus Pauling Institute

Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School looked at folate intake and hypertension in two cohorts of healthy participants - the Nurses Health Study I, including 62,260 women aged 43-70 and the Nurses Health Study II, including 93,803 women aged 27-44. Intake of dietary folate and supplemental folic acid was measured by questionnaire at the start and every four years. Blood pressure was checked every two years. After eight years, 19,720 cases of hypertension were identified. Once many relevant factors were taken into account, younger women (aged 27 to 44 years) who consumed at least 1,000 micrograms a day of total folate had a 46 per cent lower risk of hypertension than those consuming less than 200 micrograms a day. The equivalent intake in older women (aged 43 to 70 years) reduced risk by 18 percent. In this study, the benefit of folate was unrelated to other factors which are known to influence risk of hypertension including exercise, salt intake and diet. The researchers also looked at the effect of folic acid supplementation through analyzing data on the women with a folate intake from the diet of less than 200 micrograms a day. Among the younger women in this group, those who consumed 800 micrograms a day or more of folate (through supplementation), had a 48 per cent reduction in hypertension risk compared to those whose folate intake was less than 200 micrograms a day. The same intake produced a 40 per cent reduction in women in the older cohort. The research team concludes that supplemental folic acid may reduce the risk of hypertension and encourages future trials to examine folic acid supplementation as a means of lowering blood pressure in young women.

Forman, J P et al. Folate Intake and the Risk of Incident Hypertension Among US Women. Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 293, January 2005, pp:320-329

Read all of the clinical trials on Folic Acid at yourhealthbase.com

Combat depression.

Because folic acid is often deficient in those who are depressed, a supplement may help. Studies of depressed people with low blood levels of folic acid show that taking it in supplement form can improve the effectiveness of antidepressants. Folic acid also appears to reduce the high levels of homocysteine associated with some forms of depression. Taking folic acid as part of a B-complex vitamin supplement is often recommended to combat depression.

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In a study of patients previously unresponsive to selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs), folic acid boosted the response rate, even in those who had normal folate levels at the trial's onset. Emerging evidence from randomized trials shows that the combination of folate and conventional antidepressant treatments may improve outcomes. In a study published last year, Harvard researchers noted that depressed people with low serum folate levels had poorer responses to antidepressant therapy. Evidence suggests that elderly depressed patients have lower levels of folate than their non-depressed cohorts. Supplementing with folate may thus reduce the incidence of depression in the elderly.

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Guard against Alzheimer's disease.

Preliminary research indicates a link between low blood levels of this B vitamin and Alzheimer's disease. In a recent study, the most advanced cases of this memory-robbing disease were associated with the lowest levels of folic acid. Conversely, people with the highest level of cognitive functioning also had the highest levels of folic acid. Elderly people with a folate intake from diet and supplements higher than the recommended dietary allowance appears to reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. It's probably wise for those suffering from Alzheimer's to take a B-complex supplement containing folic acid. Additionally, a recent study found that elderly Hispanic and African American patients with vascular risk factors who get a higher intake of folate from diet and supplements have a lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

Fight anemia.

Taking folic acid in tandem with vitamin B12 may be beneficial if you have anemia caused by a deficiency of either one of these vitamins. Together they work to boost the production of red blood cells. Be sure to always take the two vitamins together, and under a doctor's supervision, because a high intake of one can mask a deficiency of the other. Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause irreversible nerve damage and dementia.

Slow the progress of multiple sclerosis.

Some studies show that MS patients have low levels of vitamin B12 or have trouble processing it well. Taking a vitamin b complex , plus extra vitamin B12 and folic acid, can help to maintain nerve structure and function in those with this disabling nerve disorder.

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