New research into the impact of folic acid supplementation during pregnancy shows it decreases the incidence of congenital heart defects, according to Canadian scientists.

All grain products sold in Canada have been fortified with folic acid since 1998, and researchers from McGill University reviewed provincial databases which showed the rate of congenital heart defects between 1999 and 2005 was 1.47 per 1,000 births compared to 1.64 per 1,000 births between 1990 and 1999, a decrease of 6.2 percent each year.

However, “[th]e level of fortification was established to avoid negative side effects in the general population,” says Raluca Ionescu-Ittu, a PhD candidate on the team.

“This level is not quite sufficient for women planning a pregnancy, who should start taking folic acid supplements at least three months before becoming pregnant,” she adds.

Folic acid, a vitamin found in fruits and green vegetables, is also widely known to reduce the risk of neurological defects in newborns.