Crypto News: The folic acid debate.

Hi, it's Helen in London, where scientists are debating how much to fortify our food with folic acid to help prevent birth defects. But first...

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If you are thinking about having a baby, stop and read this newsletter first. Have you got folic-acid supplements? Are you taking them in at least a 400-microgram dose? Why, you wonder.

Folic acid, or Vitamin B9, is important for pregnant women if they want to avoid the risk of having a baby born with serious spinal or brain problems. It's especially important in the immediate weeks when they may not be sure, or know, if they have conceived.

As many women don't increase their folic-acid intake until they know they are pregnant, some countries are fortifying food products, like cereals, rice, bread and pasta. The US has done so since 1998 and encourages all women capable of becoming pregnant to get in at least 400 micrograms of folic acid daily — either by taking vitamins, eating a bowl of cereal or a diet rich in beans, peas and leafy greens.

That's led to a 35% drop in the number of babies born with neural tube disorders, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Pretty straight forward, one would think. But not in the UK, where more than two decades after the US started enriching food there is a debate.

Last year, the government announced its own fortification schedule, calling for 250 micrograms of folic acid to be added to every 100 grams of non-wholemeal wheat flour. That should help avoid about 200 of the 1,000 cases of neural tube defects each year, while also not risking overconsumption, the government said.

Several UK health experts fear that that's not enough. For one thing, many women avoid eating bread, or at least limit themselves to wholemeal or gluten-free versions, and thus won't benefit from the new measure.

Beyond that, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists argues that the fortification levels should be four times higher in a bid to prevent 80% of these birth defects, rather than just 20% of them.

One reason the UK went with the current fortification plan is that some officials worry that higher levels of folic acid could lead to increased rates of cancer or obscure the diagnosis of rare diseases, said Andrew Prentice of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

"The accumulated evidence of benefit from many countries is surely sufficient to calm these fears," Prentice argued. "England is being left behind." — Helen Chandler-Wilde

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Ask us anything — well, anything health-related that is! Each week we're picking a reader question and putting it to our network of experts. So get in touch via AskPrognosis@bloomberg.net.