Daily Folic Acid Intake Can Reduce Cardiovascular Diseases and All-Cause Mortality, Study Finds

Thursday, 04 May 2023, 02:29

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An extensive study conducted in United States by scientists over several years, and published in the journal Nutrition Research on April 26, 2023, shows how daily intake of a food substance called folic acid is beneficial in reducing all-cause mortality and cardiovascular diseases.

Researchers led by Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China demonstrated that a one-unit increase in daily folic acid intake resulted in a significant 7.1% reduction in premature mortality from any cause, an 11.4% reduction in cardiovascular disease, and a 6.4% reduction in of cancer mortality, according to News Medical.

Research suggests that folic acid may be a modifiable factor in diabetes prevention. Consuming folate from food or supplements also prevents cardiovascular disease in the general population.

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In the present study, researchers hypothesized that daily folic acid intake may have a protective effect on mortality in patients with dysglycemia.

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) is a complex, multistage probability survey that monitors the nutritional and health status of United States citizens. The team calculated the daily intake of folic acid by adding the daily intake of folate from food and daily folic acid supplements.

Trained interviewers collected data on dietary folate intake via a 24-hour dietary recall. Participants with prediabetes, diabetes and insulin resistance (IR) were followed by experts.

Among these, 3,356 (1,053 CVD and 672 cancer), 3,796 (1,117 CVD and 854 cancer), and 4,340 (1,286 CVD and 928 cancer) occurred among these participants with diabetes, prediabetes, and IR, respectively.

Almost 21% of participants with diabetes met the estimated average daily requirement for folic acid, and 29.42% consumed folic acid supplements. Additionally, 27.17% of participants with prediabetes consumed folic acid daily, and 24.14% consumed folic acid supplements. Also, 29.75% of participants with IR consumed folic acid daily, and 20.32% took folic acid supplements.

Increased daily folate intake was remarkably associated with higher triglyceride and cholesterol levels in participants with insulin resistance and increased high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels in those with diabetes.

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In participants with diabetes, a one-unit increase in folate intake was remarkably linked to a 7.1% reduction in all-cause mortality, an 11.4% reduction in cardiovascular disease, and a 6.4% reduction in of cancer mortality.

Also, in patients with prediabetes, each one-unit increase in folate intake was associated with a 3.6% reduction in all-cause mortality, a 7.8% reduction in cardiovascular disease, and a 3. 6% of cancer mortality.

Participants who took folic acid supplements reported significantly lower all-cause and CVD mortality among those with diabetes, significantly lower cancer and all-cause mortality in patients with prediabetes, and lower all-cause mortality causes among insulin-resistant patients.

Among the foods containing folic acid we mention: greens, asparagus, broccoli, citrus fruits, beans, peas, lentils, avocados, okra, Brussels sprouts, seeds, nuts, cauliflower, beets, corn, celery, carrots, pumpkin.