Folate & ovarian cancer.Among women who consume more than two alcoholic beverages a week, a diet low in folate folate /fo·late/ (fo´lat) 1. the anionic form of folic acid. 2. more generally, any of a group of substances containing a form of pteroic acid conjugated with l-glutamic acid and having a variety of substitutions. may raise the risk of ovarian cancer ovarian cancer Malignant tumour of the ovaries. Risk factors include early age of first menstruation (before age 12), late onset of menopause (after age 52), absence of pregnancy, presence of specific genetic mutations, use of fertility drugs, and personal history of breast , according to a Swedish study of more than 61,000 women. (Folate wasn't linked to ovarian cancer in women who drink less.) Those who got at least 200 micrograms (mcg) a day of folate from their food had a 75 percent lower risk of ovarian cancer than those who got less than 155 mcg a day. Low folate intakes are more common in Sweden than in the U.S., where white flour is fortified fortified (fôrt  ´fīd),adj containing additives more potent than the principal ingredient. with folate (folic acid folic acid: see coenzyme; vitamin. folic acid or folate Organic compound essential to animal growth and health and needed by bacteria as a growth factor. ). In an unrelated study, researchers found that 43 percent of women who went on to be diagnosed with ovarian cancer showed a combination of three symptoms--bloating, increased abdominal size, and urinary urgency--compared to only eight percent of women who received a different diagnosis. What to do: Take a multivitamin mul·ti·vi·ta·min adj. Containing many vitamins. n. A preparation containing many vitamins. multivitamin to make sure you get at least 400 mcg of folic acid a day. See your doctor if you have suspicious abdominal symptoms, especially if they are frequent. J. Nat. Cancer Inst. 96: 396, 2004 and J. Amer. Med. Assoc. 291: 2705, 2755, 2004. |
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