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More on Folic Acid and Folate 12 August 2010

A study published in the August 2010 edition of the Journal of Clinical Oncology discusses the fact that “although folate supplementation administered in preneoplastic stages may lower the risk of colorectal cancer, excessive folic acid in patients with established cancer may be harmful.”

Take home message: This study again echoes my concerns about using synthetic, isolated versions of natural compounds. The concerns here about folic acid in cancer are for folic acid, not folate. Remember that folic acid does NOT occur in nature. Folate is the natural compound found in vegetables but is too unstable away from its natural source to use as a supplement. Folic acid is oxidised folate and it’s a lot more stable so is used in supplements.

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