Effects of Folic Acid Supplementation on Oxidative Stress Markers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Omid Asbaghi,
Matin Ghanavati,
Damoon Ashtary-Larky,
Reza Bagheri,
Mahnaz Rezaei Kelishadi,
Behzad Nazarian,
Michael Nordvall,
Alexei Wong,
Frédéric Dutheil,
Katsuhiko Suzuki,
Amirmansour Alavi Naeini
Affiliations
Omid Asbaghi
Cancer Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 14167-53955, Iran
Matin Ghanavati
Nutrition and Metabolic Disease Research Center, Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Paramedicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz 61357-15794, Iran
Damoon Ashtary-Larky
Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz 61357-15794, Iran
Reza Bagheri
Department of Exercise Physiology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan 81746-73441, Iran
Mahnaz Rezaei Kelishadi
Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutrition and Food Science, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan 81746-73461, Iran
Behzad Nazarian
Student Research Committee, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad 68138-33946, Iran
Michael Nordvall
Department of Health and Human Performance, Marymount University, Arlington, VA 22207, USA
Alexei Wong
Department of Health and Human Performance, Marymount University, Arlington, VA 22207, USA
Frédéric Dutheil
CNRS, LaPSCo, Physiological and Psychosocial Stress, CHU Clermont-Ferrand, University Hospital of Clermont-Ferrand, Preventive and Occupational Medicine, WittyFit, Université Clermont Auvergne, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
Katsuhiko Suzuki
Faculty of Sport Sciences, Waseda University, 2-579-15 Mikajima, Tokorozawa 359-1192, Japan
Amirmansour Alavi Naeini
Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutrition and Food Science, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan 81746-73461, Iran
(1) Background: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the effects of folic acid supplementation on oxidative stress markers. (2) Methods: Online database including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane were searched up to January 2021, to retrieve randomized controlled trials (RCTs) which examined the effect of folic acid supplementation on markers of oxidative stress. Meta-analyses were carried out using a random-effects model. I2 index was used to evaluate the heterogeneity of RCTs. (3) Results: Among the initial 2322 studies that were identified from electronic databases search, 13 studies involving 1013 participants were eligible. Pooled effect size from 13 studies indicated that folic acid supplementation elicits a significant rise in serum concentrations of glutathione (GSH) (WMD: 219.01 umol/L, 95% CI 59.30 to 378.71, p = 0.007) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) (WMD: 91.70 umol/L, 95% CI 40.52 to 142.88, p p = 0.400). In addition, folic acid supplementation significantly reduced serum concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA) (WMD: −0.13 umol/L, 95% CI −0.24 to −0.02, p = 0.020). (4) Conclusions: This meta-analysis study suggests that folic acid supplementation may significantly improve markers within the antioxidative defense system by increasing serum concentrations of GSH and TAC and decreasing serum concentrations of MDA.
