Benefits and Risks of Folic Acid for Non-Pregnant Individuals

Benefits of Folic Acid for Non-Pregnant Individuals

Proven Benefits

Improving folic acid deficiency: Taking folic acid effectively improves the body's folate levels.

Likely Benefits

Reducing risk of advanced kidney disease: Folic acid consumption may lower the risk of end-stage renal disease, where kidneys permanently stop functioning, requiring dialysis or transplantation. It can also reduce cardiovascular risk by 15% and lower homocysteine levels by 20%, according to a 2011 study in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

Lowering elevated homocysteine levels: Homocysteine is an amino acid linked to artery damage and blood clots when elevated. Folic acid supplements have been shown to reduce total blood homocysteine and decrease blood clotting and oxidative stress, as reported in the Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology (2002).

Reducing side effects of methotrexate: Folic acid supplements help lessen methotrexate-induced liver toxicity, a drug widely used for inflammatory diseases, based on findings in the British Journal of Dermatology (2009).

Possibly Effective Benefits

Lowering risk of age-related macular degeneration: Combined folic acid, vitamin B6, and B12 supplementation may reduce the risk of severe vision loss due to macular degeneration in older adults, according to a 2009 study in Archives of Internal Medicine.

Enhancing memory in older adults: A 2002 study in The Journal of Nutrition showed positive effects of folic acid with vitamins B6 and B12 on memory performance, especially in women, though mood was unaffected.

Reducing depression symptoms: Lower folic acid levels are linked to depression. A 2017 meta-analysis in the Journal of Psychiatric Research found folic acid supplements improved the effectiveness of antidepressants.

Potential blood pressure reduction: Taking at least 5000 mcg of folic acid daily for six weeks might slightly reduce systolic blood pressure, according to research in the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine (2009).

Reducing phenytoin-induced gum enlargement: Folic acid supplements may reduce gum overgrowth caused by phenytoin, an epilepsy medication, as indicated by a study in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology.

Lowering stroke risk: In countries without mandatory folic acid grain fortification, supplements reduce stroke risk, alone or with vitamin B12, per a 2018 Journal of Stroke meta-analysis.

Improving vitiligo symptoms: Combined folic acid and vitamin B12 supplementation with sunlight exposure showed better skin repigmentation and halted vitiligo spread in 64% of patients, based on ACTA Dermatovenerologica-Stockholm research.

Insufficient Evidence for These Benefits

The following potential benefits need more research for confirmation:

• Reducing Alzheimer's disease risk
• Improving symptoms in beta-thalassemia
• Enhancing treatment for bipolar disorder
• Lowering cervical cancer risk
• Helping with chronic kidney disease
• Reducing colorectal cancer risk
• Decreasing seizure frequency in children
• Lowering risk of esophageal, head, neck, oral, and pharyngeal cancers
• Improving schizophrenia symptoms
• Slowing age-related hearing loss

Other Conditions with Unproven Benefits

Folic acid might help with gout, liver diseases, male infertility, stomach cancer, atopic dermatitis, diabetic neuropathy, peripheral neuropathy, and restless legs syndrome, but evidence is lacking.

Risks and Safety of Folic Acid for Non-Pregnant Individuals

Safety Levels

Moderate doses: Generally safe for most adults when taken below 1 mg daily, with minimal side effects.

High doses: Doses above 1 mg daily over long periods can cause abdominal cramps, diarrhea, skin rashes, sleep disorders, irritability, nausea, behavioral changes, seizures, gas, and other side effects.

Long-term high intake risks: May increase heart attack risk in people with heart conditions and possibly raise the risk of lung and prostate cancers.

Precautions

• Post-angioplasty patients: Should avoid folic acid combined with vitamins B6 and B12 due to risk of worsening artery narrowing.
• Cancer-prone individuals: High doses may increase cancer risk; those with family history should avoid excessive intake.
• Heart disease patients: Folic acid with vitamin B6 may increase heart attack risk in genetically predisposed individuals.
• Malaria patients: Folic acid with iron may increase mortality or hospitalization risk in malaria-endemic areas.
• Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia: Folic acid may mask symptoms, delaying proper treatment.
• Seizure disorders: High folic acid doses can worsen seizures.

Drug Interactions

Folic acid can interact with medications including fluorouracil (5-FU), capecitabine, fosphenytoin, methotrexate, phenobarbital, phenytoin, primidone, and pyrimethamine, potentially altering their effects.

Recommended Daily Intake of Folic Acid for Non-Pregnant Individuals

Age Group	Recommended Daily Amount
Birth to 6 months	65 mcg
7-12 months	80 mcg
1-3 years	150 mcg
4-8 years	200 mcg
9-13 years	300 mcg
14 years and older	400 mcg

Dietary Sources of Folate

• Edamame: 482 mcg per cup
• Cooked lentils: 358 mcg per cup
• Cooked asparagus: 268 mcg per cup
• Cooked spinach: 263 mcg per cup
• Cooked broccoli: 168 mcg per cup
• Avocado: 163 mcg per fruit
• Mango: 71 mcg per cup
• Lettuce: 64 mcg per cup
• Sweet corn: 61 mcg per cup
• Orange: 54 mcg per cup
• Egg: 22 mcg each
• Raw beetroot: 148 mcg per cup
• Wheat germ: 78.7 mcg per 28 g
• Papaya: 53 mcg per cup
• Banana: 23.6 mcg each

For more detailed information on folic acid food sources, see our article "Where to Find Folic Acid in Food."

Video: Benefits and Risks of Folic Acid for Non-Pregnant Individuals

Though commonly recommended for pregnant women, folic acid also offers multiple benefits for non-pregnant individuals.

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