Writing in the journal BMC Pediatrics, researchers from Ganzhou Maternal and Child Health Hospital in China examined data from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and found that folate intake below a certain threshold was negatively correlated with overweight/obesity odds among children and teenagers.
“This study reveals a possible dose–response relationship between dietary folate and obesity in children and adolescents,” the researchers wrote. “It provides important scientific hypotheses and epidemiological clues for future prospective cohort studies and intervention trials to verify the causal relationship of these associations.”
Impact on physiology
Obesity during childhood and adolescence can impact growth, endocrine balance and psychosocial development by the time a child hits puberty. It can also negatively influence long-term health into adulthood, increasing susceptibility to cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders and some cancers. Between 1990 and 2021, the prevalence of overweight and obese children and adolescents has doubled.
Preventing obesity includes dietary and nutritional strategies. Folate, a water-soluble B-vitamin, is linked in several studies to a lower chance of being overweight or obese.
Studies show that in children and adolescents with obesity, increased folate levels are linked to a decrease in homocysteine levels, lowered levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and improved insulin resistance.
“From a physiological functional perspective, folate plays a crucial role in one carbon unit metabolism and is an essential cofactor for DNA synthesis and repair, as well as epigenetic regulation, such as DNA methylation,” the researchers wrote. “These basic physiological processes are involved in regulating gene expression related to energy metabolism, fat production and appetite regulation.”
Study details
The researchers examined data from a nationally representative sample of more than 9,000 children and adolescents between the ages of 6 and 19. The study may be the first non-linear association between dietary folate intake and obesity odds.
The data from the study indicate that when folate consumption falls below 190 mcg/1,000 kcal and 195 mcg/1,000 kcal, respectively, there is a negative association with the odds of overweight/obesity and in children and adolescents.
The researchers explained that an increase of 100 mcg/1,000 kcal in dietary folate intake is associated with a 35% reduction in overweight/obesity odds and a 34% reduction in central obesity odds.
“The study proposes a key hypothesis for future research that there may be an intake saturation point for the potential benefits of folate,” they noted. “These exploratory findings point the way for future research, but their potential application value must be validated in prospective studies.”
Source: BMC Pediatrics. doi: 10.1186/s12887-025-06490-y. “Association between dietary folate intake and obesity in children and adolescents: a cross-sectional NHANES study”. Authors: Fugui Yan et al.
