Do Folate Supplements Increase Colon Cancer Risk?

It can be frustrating when a supplemental vitamin or nutrient supplement that's thought to have health benefits turns out to be harmful. Such is the case with folic acid. Folic acid or folate has been repeatedly shown to be important for reducing the risk of neural tube defects in
?newborns which is why pregnant women are given this vitamin in supplemental form. It's also been shown in some studies to reduce the risk of certain types of cancer. Now, a new study shows that supplemental folic acid may actually increase colon cancer risk, at least in laboratory rats. Does Folic Acid Increase Colon Cancer Risk?This study, published in the journal Carcinogenesis, showed that rats that were given folate supplements in addition to their regular diet were more likely to develop colon tumors. According to the researchers, the addition of a folate supplement to the diet of the rats caused pre-malignant changes to occur in the colon lining known as aberrant crypt foci that predisposed them to colon cancer. The number of colon tumors the rats developed in this study was proportional to how much folate they were given. Does the Increase in Colon Cancer Risk Apply to Humans?Although this study was done in rats and can't necessarily be applied to humans, it's cause for concern for those who take folic acid supplements. Some experts believe that folic acid or folate can be either good or bad for cancer risk depending upon the circumstances and the individual. If a person is it high risk for colon cancer and already has pre-malignant changes in the colon lining, folate could stimulate the growth of a colon tumor and, thus, increase colon cancer risk. In normal individuals without pre-malignant changes, it could reduce the risk, as some studies have suggested. The other issue is whether it's only supplemental folate that's bad. There's concern that synthetic folate supplements may have some properties that natural folic acid found in foods doesn't have. This may account for the increase in colon cancer seen in this study, but the reduction seen in other studies. Folate and Increase and Colon Cancer Risk: What Can You Conclude?Do Folate Supplements Increase Colon Cancer Risk?

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