By David Liu, PHD

Sunday Oct 14, 2012 (foodconsumer.org) -- In the name of preventing dental caries, about 75% of U.S. public drinking water system is fluoridated and millions of U.S. children now face an elevated risk for dental and skeletal fluorosis because of drinking fluoridated water.

Likewise, in the name of preventing birth defects, folic acid or folate is forced into wheat flour, a main staple food for the U.S. and millions of women have to face an increased risk of breast cancer.

A study published in Revista Medica de Chile suggests that an increased folate intake may be beneficial in deficient populations, but may increase risk of breast cancer in those who would otherwise have sufficient folate without food fortification.

Folate is a vitamin commonly found in vegetables.  Men and women would have sufficient intake of this b vitamin by eating more green vegetables.

C. Castillo-L at Universitat de les Illes Balears in Illes Balears, España and colleagues reviewed 14 case-control studies, 14 cohort studies, 7 case-control nested studies, 2 randomized trials and 2 meta-analyses found in MEDLINES to see if there is an association between folate intake and the risk  of the development of breast cancer.

The reviewers did not see any evidence to support the notion that higher intake of dietary folate reduces the risk for breast cancer.  Instead, they found that some studies hinted high folate intake particularly through exposure to fortified folic acid may increase risk of breast cancer.

The review suggests that caution need to be execised to limit the exposure of women to high intake of folic acid, particularly in countries where folic acid fortification is mandated.

To minimize unnecessary exposure to high intake of folic acid and breast cancer, women particularly women who are not at child-bearing ages may consider not taking any vitamins with folic acid and avoid wheat flour or wheat flour products fortified with folic acid.

Two major risk factors for breast cancer are medical radiation used in medical diagnostic tools and cancer treatments and hormone replacement therapy.

A few dietary supplements that may help prevent breast cancer include vitamin c, vitamin D, and green tea extract among other things.

One in eight U.S. women are expected to develop breast cancer in their lifetime.   The disease kills about 37,000 women in the United States, according to the National Cancer Institute.