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NEW ORLEANS — Periconceptual folic acid supplementation appears to reduce by close to 20% the overall risk of congenital heart defects, a Dutch case-control study has shown. This finding has important public health implications in light of the enormous number of babies born with congenital heart defects each year worldwide, Dr. Ingrid van Beynum said at the annual scientific sessions of the American Heart Association. Indeed, congenital heart defects are the most common form of birth defects. In the United States alone, 40,000 affected babies are born each year. Periconceptual folic acid supplementation at 400 mcg/day is already recommended for...

Amino acids: Key to a healthier heart? Could taking a few B vitamins cut your risk of a heart attack or a stroke? That's the suggestion from a study published last week in the British Medical Journal (BMJ).  The key is an amino acid called homocysteine, a substance made when the protein we eat is digested — already there is growing evidence to link it with cardiovascular disease, and even stroke. Homocysteine — with the help of the B vitamins including B12 and folate — is rapidly turned into other useful compounds such as the amino acids cysteine and...

Folic acid supplements may prevent cancer progression and promote regression of disease, according to a new study. Published in the July 15, 2006 issue of CANCER (http://www.interscience.wiley.com/cancer-newsroom), a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the small study found that 31 of 43 patients with the precancerous laryngeal lesion called leucoplakia demonstrated 50 percent or greater reduction in the lesion size after six months of taking folate supplements. In 12 of 31 responders, there was no evidence of the original lesion. Folate levels in the patients' blood also increased significantly from baseline while homocysteine levels decreased significantly. This study provides...

Women don't get enough folate. And the results can be disastrous twice over. According to a recent March of Dimes survey, most U.S. women of child-bearing age are not taking supplements of folic acid (the synthetic form of folate, a B vitamin). When women have an adequate intake of folate, risk of birth defects drops off sharply. But the March of Dimes survey reveals that only one in three child-bearing age women take the recommended 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid supplements daily. The reason most women offered for not taking a supplement: They forgot. I hope women who...

Preventing Alzheimer's disease may be as simple as increasing the amount of the B vitamin called folate that you get from fruits, green vegetables and supplements, researchers suggest in a new study. ADVERTISEMENT According to the study, older people whose folate intake is above the recommended dietary allowance are at a significantly reduced risk of developing Alzheimer's. However, the researchers cautioned that far more research is needed to establish a link between folate and the possible prevention of the brain-wasting disease. In fact, one previous study found folate encouraging the development of Alzheimer's disease. This latest study appears in the...

A new study conducted by researchers at The University of California Irvine suggests that folates or B-vitamin nutrients found in oranges, legumes, leafy green vegetables and folic acid supplements are more effective in limiting Alzheimer's disease risk than antioxidants and other nutrients. The team led by Maria Corrada and Dr Claudia Kawas of UC Irvine's Institute for Brain Aging and Dementia analyzed the diets of non-demented men and women aged 60 and older. They compared the food nutrient and supplement intake of those who later developed Alzheimer's disease to the intake of those who did not develop the disease. "Although...

Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Decrease Risk of Hip Fracture in Stroke Patients LibrariesMedical News   KeywordsFOLATE FOLIC ACID VITAMIN B12 HIP FRACTURE STROKE PATIENTS OSTEOPOROSIS Contact InformationAvailable for logged-in reporters only DescriptionPatients who took folic acid and vitamin B12 after their stroke had a reduced risk of hip fracture compared to patients who took placebo, according to an article. Newswise — Patients who took folic acid and vitamin B12 after their stroke had a reduced risk of hip fracture compared to patients who took placebo, according to an article in the March 2 issue of JAMA.According to background information in...