Folate is one of the B vitamins that I have written about with regards to preventing birth defects, allergies, heart disease, premature births and improving behaviour, mood, fertility and bone health. On Monday I wrote about folate and age-related hearing loss. A recently published study (1) has found that women who eat a diet rich in folate seem to have a reduced risk of developing colorectal cancer.
The B vitamin folate is found mainly in green leafy vegetables, asparagus, black-eyed beans and citrus fruits. It plays an important role in the synthesis and replication of DNA which is why it is crucial in early pregnancy when the cells of the foetus are rapidly dividing, this is also the reason why it may play a role in cancer prevention. The authors of this study (1) postulate that if folate is not available, or poorly available in the body it can result in ineffective DNA synthesis which may be linked to initiation and progression of colorectal cancer. It might be that a low folate intake could be contributing to colorectal cancer by making genetic mutations more likely.
The study (1) included 596 individuals with colorectal cancer and 509 individuals who were cancer free, these are known as ‘controls’. The participants were 30-79 years old. When the study scientists investigated the diets of the individuals they found that there was a significant relationship between higher dietary folate intake and reduced risk of colorectal cancer in women. Women who ate the most folate were at about two-thirds lower risk of the disease than women who consumed the smallest amount of the B vitamin. The study does not prove that folate prevents against cancer but it certainly indicates that further studies into the relationship would be interesting. Regularly including folate rich foods in the diet seems sensible for all women but especially those of childbearing age.
Women of childbearing age are generally encouraged to take a folic acid supplement, or a multi-nutirent supplement containing folic acid, since it is known that this can prevent spina bifida, a birth defect. Recent evidence has found that folic acid may also be important during very early pregnancy for a whole host of other reasons too. It certainly would also seem prudent for women to take a folate supplement or a folate-containing multivitamin daily to ensure adequate amounts. Recently the BBC (2) reported a story urging women of childbearing age to take folic acid in a bid to prevent birth defects, something I have echoed in my blog posts. The BBC piece focuses on the fact that many women start to take the vitamin too late. Many women start to take folic acid once they know that they are pregnant but often this is too late since they may well be 3-6 weeks pregnant before they realise. Folic acid is very important in the earliest stages of pregnancy and it seems sensible that women take the vitamin pre-conceptionally as a precautionary measure. As mentioned the vitamin is also linked to reducing premature births, heart defects and allergies. The story reports that up to 75% of spina bifida cases could be prevented by the mother taking folic acid three months before conception and during pregnancy.
(1)Kim J et al. 2009. Folate intake and the risk of colorectal cancer in a Korean population. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2009 Sep;63(9):1057-64
(2)Experts urge wider folic acid use. Eleanor Bradford. BBC Scotland Health Correspondent http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/8232089.stm
Written by Ani Kowal
Related posts:
- Folic acid linked with reduced risk of cancer
- Taking folic acid before pregnancy is associated with a reduction in premature birth
- Folic acid may be linked to the prevention of congenital heart defects
- Another benefit of folic acid during early pregnancy
- Diet and lifestyle changes are important for colorectal cancer prevention
