Less Folate may Lower Colorectal Cancer Risk
Reported April 27, 2006
(Ivanhoe Newswire) — Many studies have revealed the benefits of a diet higher in the B vitamin folate, particularly for women of childbearing age, who run a lower risk of having a child with certain types of birth defects if they have adequate intake of the nutrient.
But a new study conducted by Swedish researchers reveals higher blood levels of folate may actually be causing disease in some people. Specifically, their investigation shows people with lower levels of the nutrient have a significantly lower risk for colorectal cancer.
The result flies in the face of some previous studies, which have linked a higher dietary intake of folate to lower colorectal cancer risks.
The current study was carried out in Sweden, where foods are not currently enriched with folic acid as they are in the United States. Investigators followed about 660 people over 17 years, testing them regularly for blood levels of folate. By the end of the study, 226 had developed colorectal cancer. People with the lowest folate levels had no more risk of developing the disease than those with the highest levels, while those who fell into the middle of the group had about twice the risk. People with a genetic mutation known to reduce blood levels of folate were also found to have a lower risk.
The authors conclude, “This possibility of a detrimental component to the role of folate in carcinogenesis could have implications in the ongoing debate in Europe concerning mandatory folate fortification of foods.”
SOURCE: Gut, published online April 24, 2006
