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Research: KIM, Department of Med
Listed in Issue 51
Abstract
KIM, Department of Medicine, St Michaels Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada writes that folate is an important cofactor in the transfer of one-carbon moieties and plays a key role in DNA synthesis, repair and methylation . Furthermore, the role of folate has greatly evolved from the prevention of macrocytic anaemia to the prevention of cardiovascular disease and neural tube defects . The author reviews (42 references) the role of folate in cancer prevention .
Background
Methodology
Results
Published epidemiological, animal and clinical evidence suggest that folate may play a role in cancer prevention. The author cites two recently published large, prospective epidemiological studies which suggest that maintaining adequate levels of serum folate or moderately increasing folate intakes from dietary sources and vitamin supplements may significantly reduce the risk of pancreatic and breast cancer, respectively. The protective effect of folate appears to be operative in people at risk for developing these cancers, in particular male smokers for pancreatic cancer and women regularly consuming a moderate amount of alcohol, for breast cancer .
Conclusion
Because the expanding role of folate nutrition in cancer prevention has major public health implications, research is needed in order to clearly elucidate the effect of folate upon carcinogenesis.
References
Kim YI. Folate and cancer prevention: a new medical application of folate beyond hyperhomocysteinemia and neural tube defects. Nutrition Reviews 57(10): 314-21. Oct 1999.
