What vitamin can decrease childhood cancers?

In 1996, the Food and Drug Administration mandated that foods be fortified with folic acid. Foods fortified with folic acid include enriched breads, pastas, rice, flour, cereals and other grain products. Folic acid is a B-complex vitamin needed by the body to manufacture red blood cells.

After fortifying foods with folic acid, the incidence of Wilms tumor, primitive neuroectodermal tumors, and ependymomas was significantly lower in children. Wilms tumor is the most common form of childhood kidney cancer.

Folic acid is found naturally in dark leafy green vegetables. It is also found in legumes, citrus fruits, juices, and berries. Women who are pregnant, or are thinking of becoming pregnant should take 400 mcg of folic acid every day to prevent neural tube birth defects.

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Neural tube birth defects include spina bifida and anencephaly. According to the FDA, more than 2500 infants are born with neural tube birth defects every year. Approximately half of these could be avoided with prenatal folic acid supplementation.

Researchers from the University of Minnesota and Washington University in St. Louis compared childhood cancer rates before and after the folic acid fortification mandate. The research was published online 5/21/2012 in Pediatrics.

More than 8000 children between 0 to 4 years of age were diagnosed with cancer between 1986 and 2008. The incidence of cancer rates for children remained unchanged before and after fortification, but the rates for the specific cancers listed above did decline.

We need more research to look closely at the relationship between the fortification of foods and how they specifically reduce cancer rates.

"We are what we eat." I share this message with my young patients every day. I remind them that they need a diet rich in dark green vegetables, lentils, beans, meat, fish and whole grains.

Michelle Obama is working hard to remind families about the importance of healthy eating with her Let's Move campaign. I truly believe this is her passion. It is not about politics, or about government. It is about helping families fight obesity, and about improving the overall health of our children.

The advice provided in this blog is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical diagnosis, advice or treatment for specific medical conditions

Sources: CDC, Pediatrics, Let's Move, NIH, HealthyChildren

Photo:Flickr/Fairy Heart ♥