Folate study shows promise in healing spinal cord injuries A
study funded by the U.S. Health and Human Services, National
Institutes of Health, produced results that show the vitamin
folate appears to promote healing in damaged rat spinal cord
tissue by triggering a change in DNA. Findings of the study were
published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. Researchers
report that the healing effects of the vitamin increased with
the dosage, until regrowth of the damaged tissue reached a
maximum level. Additional studies are needed to determine what
role folate might play in spinal cord injury treatment for human
beings. Folate is a water-soluble B vitamin that occurs
naturally in leafy green vegetables and other foods. Folate
helps produce and maintain cells, and is needed to make DNA and
RNA, the building blocks of cells. The vitamin is important for
the formation of the brain and spinal cord in the early embryo.
The U.S. Public Health Service recommends that all women of
childbearing age consume 400 micro