Pregnant? Folic acid could counteract bisphenol A
Posted by safeBABY on April 18, 2008
It’s not a new study, but it’s highly relevant in light of recent news about the risks of bisphenol A. Read on for the scoop:
Duke University published a study on July 30, 2007 that demonstrated that exposure within the womb to bisphenol A (BPA) caused noticeable changes in the offspring of lab animals. But, more importantly, the researchers discovered that folic acid or genistein, an ingredient found in soy, during pregnancy protected the offspring from the negative effects of BPA. The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Energy and published in the Proceedings journal of the National Academy of Science.
“Since BPA can be detected at some level in almost all humans, the current findings could hold the promise of reducing disease susceptibility by using nutritional approaches,”said Randy Jirtle, Ph.D., senior member of the research team. “The ability of some agents to counteract the epigenetic effects of a toxin, in this case BPA, with maternal supplements has the potential to protect present and future generations.”
The researchers said they don’t yet know what doses would be protective or harmful in humans and that future studies would be needed to determine optimal doses.
But it’s a tremedous finding for pregnant women who are worried about the ubiquitous nature of BPA in today’s world. To be safe, stick with the 400mcg daily dose of folic acid, recommended by the March of Dimes to prevent birth defects.
[Photo: Peter Korte via Flickr]
