Folic Acid Supplementation--is there Enough Evidence to Justify it?

This talk will cover the basic biochemistry of folate as well as the pathophysiology and clinical implications of folate deficiency. After recognizing that folate deficiency is the most common vitamin deficiency in developed countries and was implicated in not only megaloblastic anaemia but also other disorders such as neural tube defects, Down's syndrome, cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer's disease, folate supplementation of foods was introduced. Howver, is this always beneficial? What about those for whom this supplementation was not targeted such as the elderly population or those with possible undetected malignancy? The evidence will be discussed pros and cons of folate supplementation argued.