LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Folic Acid: Risk
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Folic acid is needed to make SAMe (S-adenosyl-L-methionine), which affects (and may improve) mood. Folic acid is ... needed to keep homocysteine (an amino acid) levels in blood from rising. Excess homocysteine has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease in most studies and may also be linked to osteoporosis, strokes, and Alzheimer’s disease.
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When the FDA determined that folic acid should be added to fortify grains, the FDA limited the amount to be added because of the potential concern that high levels of folic acid might mask a vitamin B-12 deficiency (11). This condition is called pernicious anemia and is seen mainly in elderly people. Very high doses of folic acid (more than 1,000 micrograms a day) may correct the anemia caused by the vitamin deficiency, but not the deficiency itself, and cause its diagnosis to be delayed. Left untreated for an extended period of time, the vitamin B-12 deficiency can cause irreversible nerve damage. To date, research has not demonstrated any risk of pernicious anemia with folic acid fortification. Many experts, including the March of Dimes and the American Medical Association (AMA), believe that the level of fortification can be safely increased without risk to the public’s health (12).
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Folic acid appears to reduce the risk of stroke. The reviews indicate only that in some individuals the risk of stroke appears to be reduced, but a definite recommendation regarding supplementation beyond the current recommended daily allowance has not been established for stroke prevention.[36]
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Folic acid may have other significant health attributes: preliminary research seems to indicate a potential for decreasing the risk of some types of cancer. It is ... being studied for possible benefits in reducing the risk of death from heart disease.
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People who are at high risk of strokes and heart disease may greatly benefit by taking folic acid supplements. An elevated blood level of the amino acid homocysteine has been identified as a risk factor for some of these diseases. High levels of homocysteine have ... been found to contribute to problems with osteoporosis. Folic acid, together with vitamins B6 and B12, helps break down homocysteine, and may help reverse the problems associated with elevated levels.
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Research teams in the Netherlands and the U.S. have confirmed that low levels of folic acid in the diet significantly increases risk of osteporosis-related bone fractures due to the resulting increase in homocysteine levels. Homocysteine has already been linked to damage to the arteries and atherosclerosis, plus increased risk of dementia in the elderly. Now, in a study that appeared in the May 2004 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers at the Eramus Medical Center, Rotterdam, Holland, and another team in Boston have confirmed that individuals with the highest levels of homocysteine have a much higher risk of osteoporotic fracture.
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