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Adequate folate consumption is recommended for women in preconception and pregnancy to ensure cell growth and development. But new research has revealed the need to establish a safe upper limit on consumption. Current guidelines recommend supplementation with 400 to 500 micrograms (µg) of folic acid daily, starting at least one month prior to conception and continuing through the first trimester, to reduce the risk of neural tube defects such as spina bifida. Dr. Tanja Jankovic-Karasoulos has found excess maternal folate levels—caused by the dual impact of folic acid (FA) food fortification and higher-than-recommended supplementation doses during pregnancy—can be linked to...

Folic acid 'increases memory' By Nic Fleming, Medical Correspondent Last Updated: 2:26am GMT 19/01/2007 Folic acid supplements can significantly improve the memory and brain power of older people, according to a study to be published today. Researchers found that men and post-menopausal women aged between 50 and 70 who took daily doses had the mental abilities of those almost five years their junior. The supplements also helped maintain speed of information processing, reactions involving movement and overall brain power. These abilities decline with age, and their loss has been linked to a higher risk of dementia. Folate, the natural form...

High-dose folic acid pills — providing as much of the nutrient as 2.5 pounds of strawberries — might help slow the cognitive decline of aging. So says a Dutch study that's the first to show a vitamin could really improve memory. The research, unveiled Monday at a meeting of Alzheimer's researchers, adds to mounting evidence that a diet higher in folate is important for a variety of health effects. It's already proven to reduce birth defects, and research suggests it helps ward off heart disease and strokes, too. The new study doesn't show folic acid could prevent Alzheimer's — the...

Date: Posted 10/2/2002 Folic Acid Can Help Prevent Heart Disease, Strokes, University Of Ulster Researcher Reports Folic acid is not only a safeguard against spina bifida and other birth defects in babies – it may also prevent heart disease and strokes, two of Northern Ireland's biggest killers. Research at the University of Ulster has shown that folic acid and three other related B-vitamins can prevent the accumulation of a high blood level of homocysteine, a new risk factor for heart disease and strokes. The risk of high homocysteine is similar to the risk of high cholesterol - but the good...