Research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (October 2007; Volume 86) examined whether folic acid supplementation could reduce blood arsenic levels.
In this double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 130 individuals with arsenic exposure were randomly assigned to receive either 400 mcg of folic acid per day or a placebo. After 12 weeks, blood arsenic levels decreased by 13.6% in the folic acid group, compared with a 2.5% reduction in the placebo group.
Folic acid derives its name from “foliage,” reflecting its natural presence in fresh plant foods, and plays an important role in methylation pathways involved in detoxification.
