MORE BENEFITS FROM FOLIC ACID

Women who take folic acid supplements every day have a better chance of getting pregnant, say researchers.

Long known to safeguard the health of the unborn baby, this is the first time folic acid, a form of vitamin B, has been shown to aid conception too.
A study involving more than 18,000 women showed multivitamins - particularly folic acid - improve a woman's fertility.

Those taking a supplement regularly had a 40 per cent lower risk of suffering problems producing eggs - the second biggest cause of female infertility.

Those taking multivitamins, which included folic acid, for six days a week or more had a 40 per cent lower risk of ovulatory failure, compared with those who did not take a pill.
Women who took a pill on three to five days a week had a 30 per cent cut in risk, while those taking pills for two days or less were no better off than women not taking supplements.

'The beneficial effect on fertility continued to increase as women consumed higher amounts of folic acid.

'It looks like folic acid is a major player in reproduction.'
In the UK, 1mg of folic acid daily is regarded as the safe upper limit.

Women hoping to become pregnant are currently advised to take a 0.4mg supplement of folic acid every day after stopping contraception, and for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

It is still unclear how folic acid - the synthetic form of folate, a B vitamin - worked in securing pregnancy.

But research last year suggested it might help embryo survival.
The vitamin, which is critical in the womb for brain development, is found in citrus fruits, tomatoes, green leafy vegetables and wholegrains.

Deficiency can trigger severe brain and spinal birth defects such as spina bifida, in which the neural tube fails to close properly at the lower end causing paralysis or loss of bowel and bladder control.