Huge congratulations to Dr. Brock Williams (Karakochuk lab alumni), who just published his PhD research in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
He spearheaded a double blind cross-over RCT assessing the effectiveness of folic acid supplementation in Canadian children with #sicklecelldisease.
Here’s what was found:
– Red blood cell folate levels were significantly lower when participants received a placebo, but we saw no differences in 1-carbon metabolite concentrations, hematological measures, or clinical outcomes during placebo vs. folic acid supplementation
– Despite food folic acid fortification and advances in medical treatment, it appears that some children with this condition may still benefit from daily folic acid supplementation.
– There is more work to be done to optimize nutrition care for children with of sickle cell disease!
Access the publication here
Incredible work, Brock with special thanks to our incredible team at BC Children’s Hospital and collaborators at UBC/BCCHR! 🙂