Abstract
Background & Aims: Folic acid is a widely used supplement, with numerous purported health benefits. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of folic acid on body weight (BW) and/or body mass index (BMI).
Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis of 11 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluated the effects of folic acid supplementation BW or BMI in 514 participants. A systematic search, current as of March 2021, was performed in PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase using relevant keywords to identify eligible studies. A fixed-effects model was used to estimate the weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).
Results: 11 RCTs were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled analysis revealed that folic acid supplementation did not affect BW (WMD: 0.16 kg; 95% CI: -0.77 to 1.10; p = 0.727, I²= 0.0%, p = 1.00) and BMI (WMD: 0.05 kg/m2; 95% CI: -0.08 to 0.19; p = 0.447, I²= 0.0%, p = 0.666).
Conclusions: Folic acid supplementation did not significantly impact body weight or BMI. Future large-scale RCTs, on various dosages and durations of intervention, are needed to elucidate the effects more clearly.
Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis of 11 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluated the effects of folic acid supplementation BW or BMI in 514 participants. A systematic search, current as of March 2021, was performed in PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase using relevant keywords to identify eligible studies. A fixed-effects model was used to estimate the weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).
Results: 11 RCTs were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled analysis revealed that folic acid supplementation did not affect BW (WMD: 0.16 kg; 95% CI: -0.77 to 1.10; p = 0.727, I²= 0.0%, p = 1.00) and BMI (WMD: 0.05 kg/m2; 95% CI: -0.08 to 0.19; p = 0.447, I²= 0.0%, p = 0.666).
Conclusions: Folic acid supplementation did not significantly impact body weight or BMI. Future large-scale RCTs, on various dosages and durations of intervention, are needed to elucidate the effects more clearly.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 642-650 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Current Nutrition and Food Science |
| Volume | 19 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| Early online date | 23 Nov 2022 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 23 Nov 2022 |
Keywords
- folic acid
- folate
- body weight
- body mass index
- obesity
- meta-analysis
