Clipping Board » Dangerous Medicinal Tonics ─ Nutrients should be moderate in the body—excessive supplementation only becomes a burden.
China Times 2009-11-20 [By Tsai Chuan-ju, Chang Tsui-fen / Comprehensive Report]
A Norwegian study indicates that long-term intake of folic acid and vitamin B12 supplements may significantly increase the risk of cancer, with the risk of lung cancer rising by as much as 25%. The findings were published in the latest issue of the *Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)*. This large-scale international study used a folic acid dosage twice the daily recommended intake of 400 micrograms suggested by Taiwan’s Department of Health. However, most people can obtain sufficient amounts through a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and do not require additional supplementation.
Folic acid and vitamin B12 are part of the vitamin B complex, aiding the body in producing healthy new cells. Pregnant women who consume adequate folic acid can prevent congenital defects such as spina bifida in their babies. Countries like the UK and the US mandate the addition of folic acid to flour and cereals.
However, a research team led by Dr. Ebbing at Haukeland University Hospital in Norway discovered that in Norway, where folic acid is not added to food, heart disease patients who took folic acid and vitamin B12 supplements long-term had a 21% higher risk of developing cancer compared to the general population. Their risk of death from cancer or other causes was also higher than those who did not take the supplements.
**No Help for Heart Disease, Instead Increases Cancer Risk**
The study involved 6,837 patients with ischemic heart disease, conducted from 1998 to 2005, with follow-up until the end of 2007. The original purpose of the experiment was to investigate whether folic acid and vitamin B12 could reduce levels of homocysteine, an amino acid linked to stroke and heart disease.
Patients were divided into two groups: the experimental group took 800 micrograms of folic acid and 400 micrograms of vitamin B12 daily. After 39 months of treatment and 38 months of observation, it was found that folic acid and vitamin B12 supplementation provided no benefit to heart health.
In the experimental group, 341 patients developed cancer, compared to 288 in the control group—a 21% higher incidence in the former. The risk of lung cancer was particularly elevated by 25%.
**Academia Sinica: Excess Folic Acid Fuels Cancer Cells**
Pan Wen-han, a researcher at the Institute of Biomedical Sciences at Academia Sinica, also emphasized that "folic acid must not be consumed in excess." The nutrition science community has long recognized that isolated folic acid supplementation can be problematic. Early cancer treatments worked by inhibiting folic acid levels in the body to prevent cancer cell growth. Simply put, too much folic acid provides nourishment for cancer cells to thrive.
He noted that the US began adding folic acid to food in 1996 to prevent neural tube defects in fetuses, but subsequently, the national cancer incidence rate rose. This finding has been reported in scientific journals.
Source: http:/ / life. chinatimes. com/ 2……1801+112009112000041,00. html
Norwegian Study: Excessive Folic Acid Intake Linked to Higher Cancer Risk
A Norwegian study indicates that long-term intake of folic acid and vitamin B12 supplements may significantly increase the risk of cancer, with the risk of lung cancer rising by as much as 25%. The findings were published in the latest issue of the *Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)*. This large-scale international study used a folic acid dosage twice the daily recommended intake of 400 micrograms suggested by Taiwan’s Department of Health. However, most people can obtain sufficient amounts through a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and do not require additional supplementation.
Folic acid and vitamin B12 are part of the vitamin B complex, aiding the body in producing healthy new cells. Pregnant women who consume adequate folic acid can prevent congenital defects such as spina bifida in their babies. Countries like the UK and the US mandate the addition of folic acid to flour and cereals.
However, a research team led by Dr. Ebbing at Haukeland University Hospital in Norway discovered that in Norway, where folic acid is not added to food, heart disease patients who took folic acid and vitamin B12 supplements long-term had a 21% higher risk of developing cancer compared to the general population. Their risk of death from cancer or other causes was also higher than those who did not take the supplements.
**No Help for Heart Disease, Instead Increases Cancer Risk**
The study involved 6,837 patients with ischemic heart disease, conducted from 1998 to 2005, with follow-up until the end of 2007. The original purpose of the experiment was to investigate whether folic acid and vitamin B12 could reduce levels of homocysteine, an amino acid linked to stroke and heart disease.
Patients were divided into two groups: the experimental group took 800 micrograms of folic acid and 400 micrograms of vitamin B12 daily. After 39 months of treatment and 38 months of observation, it was found that folic acid and vitamin B12 supplementation provided no benefit to heart health.
In the experimental group, 341 patients developed cancer, compared to 288 in the control group—a 21% higher incidence in the former. The risk of lung cancer was particularly elevated by 25%.
**Academia Sinica: Excess Folic Acid Fuels Cancer Cells**
Pan Wen-han, a researcher at the Institute of Biomedical Sciences at Academia Sinica, also emphasized that "folic acid must not be consumed in excess." The nutrition science community has long recognized that isolated folic acid supplementation can be problematic. Early cancer treatments worked by inhibiting folic acid levels in the body to prevent cancer cell growth. Simply put, too much folic acid provides nourishment for cancer cells to thrive.
He noted that the US began adding folic acid to food in 1996 to prevent neural tube defects in fetuses, but subsequently, the national cancer incidence rate rose. This finding has been reported in scientific journals.
Source: http:/ / life. chinatimes. com/ 2……1801+112009112000041,00. html