FeaturedNeuroscience·January 4, 2024·7 min readLow B12 and High Folic Acid Impacts Fetal Brain DevelopmentNew research in mice suggests that too much folic acid, a synthetic form of folate, may impact brain development. Imbalances in folic acid and vitamin B12 can alter neural development, raising questions about dietary fortification.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·October 1, 2022·7 min readFolic Acid Treatment Is Associated With Decreased Risk of Suicide AttemptsStudy reveals a 44% reduction in suicidal events, including suicide attempts and self-harm, in depressed patients who took folic acid supplements.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·June 3, 2021·3 min readFish Oil Taken During Pregnancy Boosts Brain Function in Children at Age 10At age ten, children whose mothers took fish oil supplements during pregnancy were more efficient at problem-solving tasks and had better attentional focus than those whose mothers just took folic acid or no supplements at all.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·October 6, 2020·4 min readExcess Folic Acid During Pregnancy Harms Brain DevelopmentStudy of pregnant mice found excess folic acid is detrimental to brain development in fetuses. Mice exposed in-utero to higher doses of folic acid had significant brain changes compared to those who were exposed to lower doses.Read More
AutismFeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·February 19, 2020·4 min readPrenatal phthalate exposure associated with autistic traits in young boysHigher gestational concentrations of phthalate metabolites were associated with an increased risk of autism in boys, but not in girls. Folic acid may help to protect against the effects of phthalate exposure, researchers report.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·July 22, 2019·4 min readOffspring of pregnant women exposed to high level of pollutants may have lower IQsMaternal exposure to higher levels of air pollution is associated with lower IQ scores in their children. For those whose mothers were in the highest 10% of exposure had IQ score that were, on average, 2.5 points lower than those whose mothers were in the lowest 10%. However, higher maternal folate levels appear to neurtralize the effect of high pollution exposure on offspring.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·January 15, 2019·4 min readB-Group Vitamins Can Improve Concentration In People With First Episode PsychosisA new study reports vitamins B12, B6 and folic acid can help improve concentration in people experiencing their first episode of psychosis.Read More
FeaturedNeurologyNeuroscience·August 6, 2018·5 min readPregnant with Epilepsy? Folic Acid May Prevent Language DelaysA new study links folic acid intake in pregnant women with epilepsy and language development in children. Researchers report among children whose mothers with epilepsy did not take folic acid, 34% had delayed language skills at 18 months.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience ArticlesPsychology·July 3, 2018·8 min readPrenatal Exposure to Folic Acid Fortification of Food May Reduce Mental Health Risks in ChildrenA new study reports the offspring of women who eat a diet rich of foods fortified with folic acid while pregnant have a reduced risk of being diagnosed with a mental illness later in life. The study reports those who had increased in-utero folic acid exposure had increased cortical thickness and delayed thinning of the cerebral cortex.Read More
AutismFeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience ArticlesPsychology·January 3, 2018·4 min readAre Vitamin Supplements Used Before or During Pregnancy Associated With ASD Risk?A new study backs previous findings, reporting a reduced risk of ASD in the offspring of mothers who used folic acid and multivitamins both prior to and during pregnancy.Read More
AutismFeaturedOpen Neuroscience ArticlesPsychology·October 5, 2017·5 min readMultivitamin Use During Pregnancy Linked to Lower Autism With Intellectual Disability RiskAccording to Drexel University researchers, mothers who took multivitamins during pregnancy were 30% less likely to have children who develop autism with intellectual disability. However, researchers note the occurrence of autism without intellectual disability was not affected by the use of prenatal multivitamins.Read More
AutismFeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·September 11, 2017·5 min readFolic Acid May Mitigate Autism Risk From PesticidesResearchers from UC Davis report pregnant women who take 800 micrograms of folic acid could help lower risks of autism in their children, even when they were exposed to pesticides associated with increasing autism risk.Read More