title: Malaria in the Era of Food Fortification With Folic Acid.
abstract: Food fortified with folic acid has been available for consumption in North America for over a decade. This strategy has led to an increase in folate levels in the general population and, more importantly, a significant decrease in the incidence of neural tube defects. However, this increase in folate intake has been associated with a greater risk of cancer disease. Many African countries are now embracing this concept; however, because folate promotes malaria parasite division, as it does in cancer cells, there is a possibility of malaria exacerbation if folate intake is increased. A precedent for such a concern is the now compelling evidence showing that an increase in iron intake can lead to a higher malaria risk; as a result, mass administration of iron in malaria-endemic areas is not recommended. In this article, we review work on the effect of folate on malaria parasites. Although this topic has received little research attention, the available data suggest that the increase in folate concentration could be associated with an increase in malaria infection. Thus, the introduction of food fortification with folic acid in malaria-endemic areas should be attended by precautionary programs to monitor the risk of malaria.
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia alexisnzila@kfupm.edu.sa.
authors.forename: Alexis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nzila
authors.affiliation: University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Okombo
authors.affiliation: Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (MIB), Manchester, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hyde
mesh_terms: D000349:Africa; D000818:Animals; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005527:Food, Fortified / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology
chemical_list: D005492:Folic Acid
keywords: Plasmodium falciparum; folate; food fortification; malaria