Active Ingredient Folate (folic Acid)

a member of the vitamin b family that stimulates the hematopoietic system. it is present in the liver and kidney and is found in mushrooms, spinach, yeast, green leaves, and grasses (poaceae). folic acid is used in the treatment and prevention of folate deficiencies and megaloblastic anemia.

Source:

medlineplus herbs and supplements: folate (folic acid)

Medical Condition	Uses based on scientific evidence	Grade*
alzheimer's disease	preliminary evidence indicates that low folate concentrations might be related to alzheimer's disease. well-designed clinical trials of folate supplementation are needed before a conclusion can be drawn.	c
cerebral artery occlusion unspecified with cerebral infarction	study results are mixed for the use of folate in stroke patients. further research is needed in this area before a strong recommendation can be made.	c
chronic fatigue syndrome	some patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (cfs) also have decreased folic acid levels. daily injections of a combination of folic acid, bovine liver extract, and vitamin b12 for three weeks were not beneficial for cfs in one study.	c
depressive disorder not elsewhere classified	folic acid deficiency has been found among people with depression and has been linked to poor response to antidepressant treatment. folate supplements have been used for enhancing treatment response to antidepressants. limited clinical research suggests that folic acid is not effective as a replacement for conventional antidepressant therapy. depression should be treated by a qualified healthcare provider.	c
down's syndrome	one study does not show a protective effect of folic acid on heart anomalies among infants with down's syndrome.	d
folate-deficiency anemia	folate deficiency can cause megaloblastic (or macrocytic) anemia. in this type of anemia, red blood cells are larger than normal, and the ratio of nucleus size to cell cytoplasm is increased. there are other potential causes of megaloblastic anemia, including vitamin b12 deficiency or various inborn metabolic disorders. if the cause is folate deficiency, then treatment with folate is the standard approach. patients with anemia should be evaluated by a physician in order to diagnose and address	a
fragile x syndrome	folic acid supplementation has been shown not to improve symptoms of fragile x syndrome.	f
hearing loss	folic acid supplementation slowed the decline in hearing of speech frequencies associated with aging in a population from a country without folic acid fortification of food. the effect requires confirmation, especially in populations from countries with folic acid fortification programs.	c
neoplasms	preliminary evidence surrounding the use of folate seems promising for decreasing the risk of breast, cervical, pancreatic, and gastrointestinal cancer. however, currently there is insufficient evidence available to recommend folate supplementation for any type of cancer prevention or treatment. please follow the advice of a qualified healthcare provider in this area.	c
other b-complex deficiencies	folate deficiency will occur if the body does not get the adequate amount of folic acid from dietary intake. folic acid has been shown to be effective in the treatment of megaloblastic and macrocytic anemias due to folate deficiency.	a
toxic effect of arsenic and its compounds	folate may lower blood arsenic concentrations and thereby contribute to the prevention of arsenic-induced illnesses. additional research is needed in this area.	c
unspecified circulatory system disorder	elevated homocysteine levels may be a marker of vascular disease. preliminary data suggests that folic acid lowers homocysteine levels and might reduce the risk of vascular disease (cardiac, peripheral, or cerebral). large randomized controlled trials are needed before a firm conclusion can be drawn.	c
unspecified complication of pregnancy	studies have proven that folate consumption during pregnancy prevents deficiency and anemia in pregnant women. low folate levels during pregnancy may contribute to birth defects and pregnancy loss.consuming a high dietary intake of folate and taking folic acid supplements orally during pregnancy reduces the risk of neural tube birth defects or cleft palate in the infant.	a
vitiligo	based on preliminary data, folic acid and vitamin b12 may improve the symptoms of vitiligo. further research is needed to confirm these results.	c

*Key to grades
A: Strong scientific evidence for this use;
B: Good scientific evidence for this use;
C: Unclear scientific evidence for this use;
D: Fair scientific evidence against this use;
F: Strong scientific evidence against this use.