Folic acid deficiency bad for reproduction

Even the fathers should eat well

12/11/2013

The majority of people in industrialized countries have a folic acid deficiency without any knowledge of it. Occasionally, folic acid is also referred to as vitamin B9 or vitamin B11. A shortage can sometimes be a problem if there is a desire to get offspring. Because in the body belongs to the group of B vitamins acid plays a crucial role in growth processes and cell division.

Expectant mothers should make sure that their body is sufficiently supplied with it. A deficiency leads to an increased risk of certain malformations in children. Whether a Folsäuremangel is present, can be determined by a blood test. A natural source of folic acid is mainly green leafy vegetables such as spinach.

In general, smokers, alcoholics, people with chronic bleeding, liver patients and women taking contraceptive pills have a folic acid deficiency. However, men should also take care that they do not suffer from folic acid deficiency.

In a study with male mice, Canadian scientists were able to prove that a folic acid deficiency has a negative effect on the genotype before the generation of the offspring. If the body does not have enough of the vitamin, the genetic material changes within the sperm. Their findings have the scientists around Romain Lambrot from McGill University in Quebec in the journal „Nature Communications“ released.

The scientists examined how far the diet has an influence on the health of their children. For this the animals were given special food with little folic acid. It was found in these animals that a deficiency causes an altered epigenic marker in the genome. Epigenetics is a biology specialty dealing with the inheritance of genetic traits and the circumstances in which genetic alterations occur. As a rule, changes occur due to environmental factors such as smoking, alcohol or diet and alter the activity of the genes. Studies in the past have shown that in this way parents' experiences are passed on to their children.

Folic acid deficiency can promote chronic diseases
The researchers were able to show that folate deficiency causes a number of epigenetic changes to the genes involved in development and some chronic diseases, such as cancer and diabetes. It was found that the offspring of the mice, which had received little folic acid, were born with significantly more frequent malformations, as in the animals who had been given food with enough folic acid. In 27 percent of the cubs of fathers with folic acid deficiency, the offspring were born with visible anatomical malformations on the skeleton. In the control group it was only three percent. The study suggests that "environmental influences such as diet act on the sperm and also have a significant share in the development of diseases," the researchers said. (Fr)

Picture: Alexandra H.