Folic acid linked to more colon cancer

WASHINGTON, Nov. 2 (UPI) -- Researchers are calling for careful reconsideration of the U.S. folic acid fortification program after a link of increased colon cancer was discovered.

Two commentaries in Nutrition Reviews said that for nearly a decade, folic acid -- chemical form of the B vitamin folate -- has been added to wheat flour and other grains in the United States and Canada to reduce a birth defect of the spinal cord and central nervous system.

However, during this same period, the rates of U.S. colorectal cancer inexplicably began rising, even as regular colonoscopy checkups became more common. In Canada, where folic acid supplementation was introduced a bit later, the same trend has been observed.

Dr. Noel Solomons, head of the Task Force on Diet, Nutrition and Long-term Health of the International Union of Nutritional Sciences and author of one of the review commentaries, suggests a re-evaluation of the manner in which folic acid is delivered to the public.

“One size of dietary folic acid exposure does not fit all," Solomons said in a statement. "It can be beneficial to some and detrimental to others at the same time."

Solomons suggested targeting women of reproductive age while reducing folic acid levels in foods for which fortification is optional such as ready-to-eat cereals.