Understanding folic acid (synthetic folate) biology is paramount to optimizing nutrition guidelines for folic acid intake in pregnancy and lactation. Folic acid supplementation is recommended for women of child bearing age to reduce incidence of neural tube defects (NTDs), a birth defect that occurs in the first month of pregnancy. Several Canadian birth cohorts estimate that pregnant women are consuming folic acid at levels 2-5x higher than the recommended 0.4mg/d supplement. An evolving concern is that high folic acid may affect the metabolic health of both the mother and child. This presentation will provide an overview of the evidence that folic acid intake during pregnancy affects maternal and offspring metabolic physiology. The relationship to type 2 diabetes and potential mechanisms underlying these observations will be discussed. Key gaps in our understanding of folic acid biology in the pancreas and insulin-producing beta cells will be highlighted.
Dr Angela Devlin is a Professor in the Department of Pediatrics and Co-Director of the Women+ and Children’s Health Research graduate program in the UBC Faculty of Medicine, and the Associate Director, Foundational Science at BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute. Dr Devlin’s research program encompasses foundational and clinical studies focused on determining roles for dietary and metabolic factors on the development of diabetes and cardiovascular complications in children. A particular focus is on identifying targets to prevent cardiometabolic complications in high-risk children, such as those with mental health conditions and type 1 diabetes. Her research program is supported by funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada, and BC Children’s Hospital Foundation.