April 19/Philadelpia/Gastroenterology – Research published April 15, 2011, in the online edition of the journal Gastroenterology finds high levels of folate from supplements and fortification are not associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer.
Per the study by Victoria L. Stevens, et al., “Folate intake has been inversely associated with colorectal cancer risk in several prospective epidemiologic studies. However, no study fully assessed the influence of the high levels of folate that are frequently consumed in the U.S. as a result of mandatory folate fortification, which was fully implemented in 1998, and the recent increase in use of folate-containing supplements. There is evidence that consumption of high levels of folic acid, the form of folate used for fortification and in supplements, has different effects on biochemical pathways than natural folates and might promote carcinogenesis.