Does Folic Acid Protect Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease from Complications?

• Published in: Nutrients 2021-11, Vol.13 (11), p.4036
• Main Authors: Ratajczak, Alicja Ewa, Szymczak-Tomczak, Aleksandra, Rychter, Anna Maria, Zawada, Agnieszka, Dobrowolska, Agnieszka, Krela-Kaźmierczak, Iwona
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anemia; Bioavailability; Biomedical materials; Birth defects; Bone mineral density; Carbon; Cardiovascular disease; Cell division; Complications; Dietary Supplements; Dihydrofolate reductase; DNA methylation; Folic acid; Folic Acid - metabolism; Folic Acid - pharmacology; Folic Acid Deficiency - complications; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Gastrointestinal surgery; Gene expression; Homocysteine; Human body; Humans; Hyperhomocysteinemia; Inflammation; Inflammatory bowel disease; Inflammatory bowel diseases; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases - complications; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases - drug therapy; Intestine; Malabsorption; Metabolism; Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase; Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2) - genetics; microbiota; Nucleic acids; Osteoporosis; Pregnancy; Proteins; Review; Small intestine; Sulfasalazine; Vitamin B; Vitamin B 12; Vitamin B 6; Vitamin deficiency; Womens health
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu13114036

Folic acid, referred to as vitamin B9, is a water-soluble substance, which participates in the synthesis of nucleic acids, amino acids, and proteins. Similarly to B12 and B6, vitamin B9 is involved in the metabolism of homocysteine, which is associated with the gene. The human body is not able to synthesize folic acid; thus, it must be supplemented with diet. The most common consequence of folic acid deficiency is anemia; however, some studies have also demonstrated the correlation between low bone mineral density, hyperhomocysteinemia, and folic acid deficiency. Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) frequently suffer from malabsorption and avoid certain products, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, which constitute the main sources of vitamin B9. Additionally, the use of sulfasalazine by patients may result in folic acid deficiency. Therefore, IBD patients present a higher risk of folic acid deficiency and require particular supervision with regard to anemia and osteoporosis prevention, which are common consequences of IBD.