Folate and colon cancer

In an e-Alert I sent you last week (“The power of the single word” 8/8/02) I told you about a new study that confirms previous tests that show how the intake of dietary folate may reduce your homocysteine level.

While writing that one, I was reminded of another small study I’d come across last month about folate and colon cancer.

Researchers at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, Northern Ireland, studied the effects of a folate supplement on 6 subjects, each of whom had recurrent colon polyps. The supplement – 2 milligrams of folate – was taken daily for 3 months.

The Belfast team evaluated samples from all of the subjects to determine if cells from the lining of the rectum were dividing and multiplying. The subjects who took folate showed a reduction of cell proliferation. After the folate intake period had finished, however, cell proliferation returned to normal.

The conclusion: for people who are at risk of the disease, a daily folate sample may help keep colon cancer proliferation in check.

One important note: the authors of the study warned that consuming too much folate may be harmful for people with advanced cancer, or those who are taking medication for epilepsy. Which brings us back to my recommendation from last week: most of us can get all the folate we need from natural dietary sources, such as spinach, leafy green vegetables, asparagus, beans and chickpeas.

To Your Good Health,

Jenny Thompson
Health Sciences Institute

Source:

“Folate Supplement May Reduce Colon Cancer Risk” Reuters Health, 7/18/02