Posts tagged with ‘neural tube’

One of my readers recently asked me if I have taken a folic acid supplement throughout all my pregnancies and the answer will probably surprise you. I have talked about this topic before in my post on supplements, but I figured I would go a little more into depth for those of you interested. Folate is found in plants. Folic acid is the synthetic form, and is chemically different than folate, is found in supplements and fortified foods and is twice as absorbable by the human body compared to natural folate. Folate is essential in the folding of the neural tube which is a precursor to the brain and central nervous system in a growing embryo. This happens in the first 3-4 weeks of pregnancy, probably before you even know you are pregnant, which is why it is so important to have adequate intake prior to pregnancy. As most of you probably know, insufficient folate can have devastating effects on a pregnancy, leading to birth defects. However, synthetic folic acid, found in most prenatal and multi-vitamin supplements is linked to increased risk of breast and colon cancers. A 2011 meta-analysis of six folic acid supplementation trials found that the incidence of cancers was 21 percent higher in the folic acid supplementation groups than control groups.