Folic acid: Doctors at odds over benefits, risks

Folic acid has been shown to decrease the risk of neural tube defects in newborn infants, but recent studies have shown evidence linking increase consumption of the vitamin B with the development or progression of some cancers. According to a US study in 2009, men who consumed a folic acid supplement over a ten year period showed a higher risk of developing prostate cancer when compared to those consuming the placebo. In addition, a study in Toronto showed rats that consumed high levels of folic acid could have offsprings with cancer. This is alarming news for expecting mothers because this could lead to more women deciding not to take the much needed supplement and puting their newborns at a higher risk of getting neural tube defects.