WAGENINGEN, Netherlands, Jan. 3 Folic acid, a member of the B vitamin family, may impede age-related hearing loss, a Dutch study finds.Folic acid, already required to be added to flour in the United States, is also known as folate. Folic acid deficiency can cause birth defects and seems to contribute to heart disease and stroke, WebMD.com said.The study involved 728 Dutch men and women age 50 to 70.Half the study participants got strong folic acid supplements while the other participants received a placebo.After three years, those who received folic acid pills had less low-frequency hearing loss than did placebo recipients. The difference was slight: 0.7 decibels. The smallest change in sound intensity most people can notice is 1.0 decibels.Researchers said no slowing of high-frequency hearing loss was noted, possibly because high-frequency hearing loss begins earlier than age 50.Researchers Jane Durga of Wageningen University and colleagues suggested by fortifying flour with folic acid, nations might lessen age-related hearing loss.Copyright 2007 by UPI
