Folic acid

Folic acid is an essential water-soluble vitamin occurring naturally in foods such as green leafy vegetables.

- Words by Dr Karen Bridgman

Along with vitamins B12 and B6, folic acid is a major regulator of the DNA methylation processes in the body. Food sources include green leafy vegetables (folate is derived from the Latin for foliage), chickpeas, liver, fortified breads and cereals, and brewer's yeast. Folate deficiency is considered one of the most common vitamin deficiencies in humans. Studies have also shown that a zinc deficiency can reduce the body's efficiency in metabolising folate, as well as cause lower plasma folate and decreased folate in the liver.

In the 1960s, the discovery was made that folic acid was important in the prevention of neural tube defects in babies. In the '70s and '80s, it was shown to be a critical nutrient in the prevention of cervical dysplasia. Following this was the discovery that folic acid was essential for preventing atherosclerosis associated with increased homocysteine. Since then, a deficiency has also been linked to an increased risk of various cancers, including colorectal cancer.

Therapeutic uses

Pregnancy & neural tube defects

Folic acid is important because supplementation around the time of conception has been shown to lower the risk of babies being born with a neural tube defect such as spina bifida. This is an increasing issue with multiple births.

Hypomethylation & hypermethylation