Boston, MA and Washington, D.C.–April 1, 2009–For the past
several decades, evidence has shown that greater dietary intake
of the B-vitamin, folate, offers protection against the
development of certain common cancers and reduces neural tube
defects in newborns, opening new avenues for public health
interventions that have a great impact on health. However,
folate’s central role as an essential factor in DNA synthesis
also means that abundant availability of the vitamin can enhance
the development of pre-cancerous and cancerous tumors. Further,
the intake of folic acid that results from consuming foods that
are voluntarily fortified (e.g.: ready-to-eat cereals) in
combination with the additional intake received from mandatory
fortification of flour means that supplementary intake of folic
acid is unnecessary for many segments of the population, and may
even present a risk. Nevertheless, the issue is a complicated
one since women of child-bearing age seem to benefit from
supplemental folic acid in regard to its