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Folic Acid – new doubts about side-effects

October, 2007 – Canada has long added folic acid to its flours, reducing the rate of spina bifida and anencephaly in babies.

Canada
has long added folic acid to its flours, reducing the rate of spina
bifida and anencephaly in babies. However, a recent study from Tufts
University suggests those health gains — perhaps sparing 1,000 children
annually from birth defects – comes at the cost of up to 15,000
additional cases of colon cancer annually. Scientists noticed colon
cancer cases spiked after manufacturers began fortifying cereal grains
with folic acid in the late 1990s, which does suggest it may have
unforeseen trade-offs. It’s too early to stop fortification, but
scientists will be looking at everyone at risk in the future.