Taking folic acid supplements during pregnancy is extremely important. But a Portuguese study indicates that there can also be too much of a good thing. Taking excessive amounts of folic acid can harm the offspring and lead to diabetes and obesity, particularly in girls. The study was published in the "Journal of Endocrinology".
Scientists from the University of Porto and the Catholic University of Portugal gave a group of rats 20 times the recommended amount of folic acid throughout their mating time, pregnancy and lactation.
In adulthood, the offspring was overweight, insulin resistant, had an adiponectin deficiency and also demonstrated irregular eating behaviour. These effects were particularly prevalent in female animals. In contrast, those rats in the control group whose mothers had received the recommended amounts of folic acid grew up to be healthy adults.
"While taking a minimum of 0.4 mg of folic acid per day is essential when pregnant, our study shows that it is possible to have too much of a good thing", said lead author Elisa Keating from the University of Porto. "Considering the increasing amount of folic acid consumed during pregnancy through fortified foods, multivitamin pills and supplements, the search for a safe upper dose of folic acid is urgently needed", she emphasised.
Univadis
