Folate Intake through Supplementation or Fortification - Is It Always Useful? - Abstract
Folic acid is a water soluble vitamin of B group. Folate is the generic name for B9 vitamin. This is present in some common nutriments (such as grains, cereals). Its deficiency in the diet can cause several health problems. In pregnant women, adequate folate amount is important for protect against, some congenital heart defects (CHD), neural tube defects (NTDs), or oro-facial clefts (OFC). Its serum-deficiency can be responsible for megaloblastic anemia (perniciosous), while congenital or acquired lack of folate can induce a reduced
homocysteine (Hcy) serum levels, responsible for some detrimental conditions charged to cardiovascular or neurologic system and can favor an anomalous cellular replication (tumor). But, its role in the cancers’ beginning is uncertain. In fact, while some studies report that folate seems to promote the initiation and progression of certain tumours. Others refer on dual role in the malignancies, respectively in the initiation (protective) and progression and metastatization (easing). Therefore, the folate-supplementation is useful since it is optional, but foods’ fortification with folate isn’t useful always, since the growing’s enrichment with
folate could be dangerous.