Trial reportThe American journal of clinical nutrition2006
Folate and arsenic metabolism: a double-blind, placebo-controlled folic acid-supplementation trial in Bangladesh.
Trial report in The American journal of clinical nutrition, 2006. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 120 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
120 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 235 citations in OpenAlex.
- Comparing Folic Acid Interventions and Arsenic Reduction Strategies for Neural Tube Defect Prevention in Bangladesh: A Systematic Review and Decision Analysis.Birth defects research · 2025Pooled it
- Provision of folic acid for reducing arsenic toxicity in arsenic-exposed children and adults.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2021Pooled it
- The Folic Acid and Creatine Trial: Treatment Effects of Supplementation on Arsenic Methylation Indices and Metabolite Concentrations in Blood in a Bangladeshi Population.Environmental health perspectives · 2023Trial
- Betaine and choline status modify the effects of folic acid and creatine supplementation on arsenic methylation in a randomized controlled trial of Bangladeshi adults.European journal of nutrition · 2021Trial
- Folic acid supplementation enhances arsenic methylation: results from a folic acid and creatine supplementation randomized controlled trial in Bangladesh.The American journal of clinical nutrition · 2019Trial
- Supplementation with Folic Acid, but Not Creatine, Increases Plasma Betaine, Decreases Plasma Dimethylglycine, and Prevents a Decrease in Plasma Choline in Arsenic-Exposed Bangladeshi Adults.The Journal of nutrition · 2016Trial
- Folic Acid and Creatine as Therapeutic Approaches to Lower Blood Arsenic: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Environmental health perspectives · 2015Trial
- Folic acid supplementation lowers blood arsenic.The American journal of clinical nutrition · 2007Trial
- Sulfur-Containing Amino Acid Homeostasis in the Central Nervous System: From Physiology Regulation to Metal-Induced Neurotoxicity.Metabolites · 2026Review
- The hazards of metal exposure mediated by crops to human health from perspective of environmental health and control strategies.iScience · 2026Review
- Associations of Metal Mixtures During Early Pregnancy With Midlife Obesity and Body Composition: A Prospective Study.Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.) · 2025Article
- Trace Elements in Different Blood Products Used in Neonatal Transfusion: Arsenic and Selenium.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Article
- Association of urinary arsenic concentrations with inflammation: overall and by folate intake, body mass index, and gender.International journal of hygiene and environmental health · 2025Article
- Recent advances in the clinical management of intoxication by five heavy metals: Mercury, lead, chromium, cadmium and arsenic.Heliyon · 2025Review
- Review
- Hyperhomocysteinemia Is Associated With a Myriad of Age-Related Illnesses: A Potential Role for Metal Toxicity.Mayo Clinic proceedings · 2024Article
- Arsenic modifies the effect of folic acid in spina bifida prevention, a large hospital-based case-control study in Bangladesh.Environmental health : a global access science source · 2024Article
- Arsenic modifies the effect of folic acid in spina bifida prevention, a large hospital-based case-control study in Bangladesh.Research square · 2024Article
- Metabolomic Effects of Folic Acid Supplementation in Adults: Evidence from the FACT Trial.The Journal of nutrition · 2024Article
- Urinary arsenic and spontaneous pregnancy loss - a hypothesis-generating case-control investigation in western Romania.Chemosphere · 2023Article
60 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
11 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundPopulations in South and East Asia and many other regions of the world are chronically exposed to arsenic-contaminated drinking water. To various degrees, ingested inorganic arsenic (InAs) is methylated to monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) via folate-dependent one-carbon metabolism; impaired methylation is associated with adverse health outcomes. Consequently, folate nutritional status may influence arsenic methylation and toxicity.
objectiveThe objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that folic acid supplementation of arsenic-exposed adults would increase arsenic methylation.
designTwo hundred adults in a rural region of Bangladesh, previously found to have low plasma concentrations of folate (</=9 nmol/L) were enrolled in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled folic acid-supplementation trial. Plasma concentrations of folate and homocysteine and urinary concentrations of arsenic metabolites were analyzed at baseline and after 12 wk of supplementation with folic acid at a dose of 400 microg/d or placebo.
resultsThe increase in the proportion of total urinary arsenic excreted as DMA in the folic acid group (72% before and 79% after supplementation) was significantly (P < 0.0001) greater than that in the placebo group, as was the reduction in the proportions of total urinary arsenic excreted as MMA (13% and 10%, respectively; P < 0.0001) and as InAs (15% and 11%, respectively; P < 0.001).
conclusionsThese data indicate that folic acid supplementation to participants with low plasma folate enhances arsenic methylation. Because persons whose urine contains low proportions of DMA and high proportions of MMA and InAs have been reported to be at greater risk of skin and bladder cancers and peripheral vascular disease, these results suggest that folic acid supplementation may reduce the risk of arsenic-related health outcomes.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.