Folate vs. folic acid - why the source matters for men’s health
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Personalized vitamins promise better health, but new research highlights a surprising risk: men who take daily folic acid supplements may have a higher chance of developing prostate cancer. The key distinction is that folate, the natural form found in foods like leafy greens, appears to help prevent cancer- while folic acid, the synthetic version in many supplements, may increase risk. This is especially important because many assume folic acid supplements are a direct substitute for folate, when in fact they may have opposite effects.
Source
Figueiredo JC, Grau MV, Haile RW, Sandler RS, Summers RW, Bresalier RS, Burke CA, McKeown-Eyssen GE, Baron JA. Folic acid and risk of prostate cancer: results from a randomized clinical trial. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2009 Mar 18;101(6):432-5. doi: 10.1093/jnci/djp019. Epub 2009 Mar 10. PMID: 19276452; PMCID: PMC2657096.
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