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The Effect of Folic Acid Supplementation on Body Weight and Body Mass Index: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials Publisher Pubmed



Jafari A1, 2 ; Gholizadeh E3, 4 ; Sadrmanesh O5 ; Tajpour S6 ; Yarizadeh H1 ; Zamani B1 ; Sohrabi Z7, 8
Authors
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Authors Affiliations
  1. 1. Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  2. 2. Physiology Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
  3. 3. Food and Beverages Safety Research Center, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
  4. 4. Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease Research Center (GILDRC), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  5. 5. Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
  6. 6. Department of Nutrition, School of Medicine, Zahedan University of Medical, Sciences, Zahedan, Iran
  7. 7. Nutrition Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Iran
  8. 8. School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Iran

Source: Clinical Nutrition ESPEN Published:2023


Abstract

Background and objective: Several trials have evaluated the effects of folate supplementation on obesity indices. However, their results were inconsistent. Therefore, the current meta-analysis was conducted to summarize data from available randomized clinical trials (RCTs) about the impact of folate supplementation on weight and body mass index (BMI). Method: Medline/PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and ISI web of science were searched to identify relevant articles up to December 2020. The effect sizes were expressed as weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) using the random-effects model. Results: Pooled data from nine studies showed that folic acid supplementation did not change body weight (WMD: −0.16 kg, 95%CI: −0.47 to 0.16, P = 0.32) and BMI (WMD: −0.23 kg/m2, 95%CI: −0.49 to 0.03, P = 0.31), but there was significant heterogeneity between the included studies for BMI (I2 = 90.1%, P < 0.001). Moreover, subgroup analyses in level of homocysteine and health status indicated significant effect of folic acid supplementation on BMI in those with homocysteine level ≥15 μmol/L (WMD: −0.17 kg/cm2, -0.33 to −0.01, p = 0.03) and in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) (WMD: – 0.30kg/cm2, -0.54 to −0.06, p = 0.01). Conclusion: Our outcomes demonstrated that folic acid improves BMI in those with homocysteine levels ≥15 μmol/L and women with PCOS. © 2022 European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism