Folic acid may help spinal, brain trauma

MADISON, Wis., April 28 (UPI) -- A study of rodents found folic acid might help promote healing of brain and spinal cord injuries, U.S. researchers said.

Study leader Bermans Iskandar of the University of Wisconsin in Madison said the team of researchers uncovered a molecular pathway by which folate promotes nerve cell regeneration following injury in rodents.

Iskandar said women who may become pregnant or who are pregnant are advised to eat enough folic acid to prevent their child from developing neural tube defects -- defects in the development of the spinal cord or brain.

The findings were published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

A commentary, written by Matthias Endres and Golo Kronenberg, of Charite -- Universitatsmedizin Berlin in Germany, said the data combined with the safety and simplicity of folate suggest testing folate supplementation for spinal cord and brain trauma patients.