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Experts told how vitamins can be dangerous for pregnant women. Reedus

Many doctors recommend that women take vitamins during pregnancy, especially folic acid, as it significantly reduces the risk of developing fetal neural tube defects that can lead to serious pathologies in the baby.


However, a new study by scientists from the University of California (USA) showed that folic acid for pregnant women may not be the most beneficial substance. An excess of this vitamin can harm the development of the embryo’s brain.

In order to study the effects of folic acid on the brain of embryos, scientists conducted an experiment on pregnant mice. One group of animals took the normal amount of the vitamin, another ten times the recommended norm, and the third did not take at all. At the end of the tests, the results of which are published in Cerebral Cortex magazineThe offspring of mice that received too much folic acid showed significant brain changes (similar to the changes normally caused by a lack of folate).

Too little folate is bad, too much is bad. It is necessary to choose the golden mean and select the optimal dosage for the body, – said Dr. Ralph Green, one of the authors of the study.

Scientists suspect that folic acid may not be properly metabolized by the body, so specialists need to further study this phenomenon. Experts also insist that the RDA for pregnant women should be revised in order to avoid problems with brain development in children.

We have all the signs that very large amounts of folate can be harmful to fetal brain development, and the clinical community must take this seriously. More research is needed in this area to re-evaluate the optimal folate intake for pregnant women. Says Dr. Green.

Previously, ridus.ru wrote about what medications are dangerous to keep in the first-aid kit of a pregnant woman.

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