Prenatal Nutrition: Should You Worry About Folic Acid?

I’ve been working on updating the research for the second edition of the Healthy Babies CD, and that includes nutrients such as probiotics, vitamin D, and one of the most important nutrients, folic acid. Since folic acid was added to cereal grains in 1998, there have been significant reductions in neural tube defects, but folic acid is not without controversy: the concern is getting too much folic acid from foods and supplements. There have been some studies suggesting a relationship between excess folic acid and an increased risk of some diseases. This week, I’m going to cover three studies that examine folic acid before and during pregnancy to help clarify things.

In a study published in 2015, researchers examined the levels of folic acid and unmetabolized folic acid (UFA) in the mother’s blood early in the pregnancy, at delivery, and in the umbilical cord blood. They found that folic acid and red blood cell (RBC) folic acid did not significantly change. There were differences between those who did and did not supplement with folic acid. They did find UFA in the blood and cord blood. The researchers felt that the RBC folic acid blood levels and the UFA were too high and that folic acid supplements should be changed to reflect the high readings.

Are their conclusions warranted? Let’s take a look at another study that examined the same variables the following year. I’ll let you know what a difference a year makes on Thursday.

What are you prepared to do today?