As a frequent cereal eater, I am concerned to hear that I may be getting too much folic acid, especially since I rarely eat what is considered to be “one serving” per sitting. It is well known that folic acid is important for women of child-bearing age to prevent birth defects, but recent research has found it may cause serious health consequences if consumed in excessive quantities. The vitamin is found in fortified breads, cereal bars, rice, pastas and the daily supplements many people pop so it is very easy to exceed the recommended 400 mcg/day for women to protect fetuses.
Alarming reports from Chile health officials have indicated that hospitalization rates for colon cancer among men and women age 45+ more than doubled in their country since 2000 when the fortification initiative was introduced. Between 1996 and 2000, an additional 15,000 cases of colon cancer has been documented in the United States. High doses of folic acid have also been linked to lung and prostate cancers. Norway, where fortification is not mandatory, conducted a study in which men took either folic acid or a placebo and it was determined that those consuming 1,000+ mcg of folic acid daily more than doubled their risk of prostate cancer. It has recently been discovered that the liver has a limited capacity to metabolize folic acid into folate, thus leaving excess circulating in the bloodstream. Folate is found in nature unlike folic acid, so it is not known what the effect of the excess is.
Natural sources of folate found in leafy greens, orange juice, beans, peas, sunflower seeds and liver are essential foods to consume to synthesize and repair DNA, produce red blood cells and prevent anemia. However, when “when cells are malignant or in danger of becoming so – and as many as half of adults older than 60 could already have precancerous colon polyps, while most middle-aged men have precancerous cells in their prostates – animal studies suggest excess folate in the form of folic acid may act like gas on the fire,” according to this article on msnbc.com.
Debates over whether or not to fortify the food supply have left the British government recommending the UK to proceed with mandatory fortification while New Zealand health officials delayed the country’s plans to begin fortification of bread products.
The great debate leaves me reading food labels more diligently than before as I try to watch my intake of folic acid. It is important for people to distinguish that there is no risk in overdosing on foods high in folate like spinach, beans and orange juice. I hope that the average consumer catches on to these concerns associated with folic acid and keeps an eye on their intake.
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