Oct. 9, 2007 A new study by researchers at Columbia University
Mailman School of Public Health finds that folic acid
supplements can dramatically lower blood arsenic levels in
individuals exposed to arsenic through contaminated drinking
water. This toxic element, naturally present in some aquifers
used for drinking, is currently a significant public health
problem in at least 70 countries, including several developing
countries and also parts of the U.S. Chronic arsenic exposure is
associated with increased risk for skin, liver and bladder
cancers, skin lesions, cardiovascular disease, and other adverse
health outcomes. The researchers found that treatment with 400
micrograms a day of folic acid, the U.S. recommended dietary
allowance, reduced total blood arsenic levels in the study
population by 14 percent. Folate, a B vitamin found in leafy
vegetables, citrus fruits, beans, and whole grains, can also be
taken as a vitamin supplement, and in the U.S., is added to
flour and other fortified foods. The research