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There are many reasons for taking vitamin supplements. One of the main reasons is to make up for the deficiencies in the diet. However, overdose of certain supplements can bring health risks, including an increased risk of cancer.

Excessive folic acid supplementation is associated with an increased risk of cancer, although the risk is small.

Folic acid is an artificial version of the vitamin folic acid (also known as vitamin B9). Folic acid helps the body produce healthy red blood cells and is found in certain foods.

The Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UBA) pointed out that this finding was particularly surprising because "strong evidence shows that adequate folic acid intake can help reduce the risk of certain cancers."

The health agency continued: “Folic acid plays a role in cell growth and repair. Some studies have shown that folic acid can prevent cancer in its early stages.”

Read more: Popular "nutritional" supplements increase the risk of lung and stomach cancer

However, it warns that "excessive intake of folic acid may cause cancer cells to grow more easily, which has the opposite effect."

UAB points out that three studies have shown a slight increase in the risk of cancer.

In the folic acid-supplemented group, 10.0% of people died of cancer, while 8.4% of the folic acid-supplemented group died of cancer.

In the second study, the cancer mortality rate in the folic acid group was 4.0%, compared with 2.9% in the non-folic acid group.

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Therefore, the risk is small. The NHS points out that it is also important to note that most adults and children can take folic acid.

However, it is not for everyone.

To ensure your safety, the NHS says that if you have the following conditions, please tell your doctor before you start taking folic acid:

According to Bupa, you should be able to get most of the vitamins and minerals you need through a healthy and balanced diet.

For each day, this includes:

In fact, following a healthy and balanced diet can reduce the risk of cancer.

It is estimated that a healthier diet can prevent about one in twentieth of cancers. Cancer Research UK attributes this effect in part to helping you maintain a healthy weight.

“For most of us, diet has a great influence on our weight. Maintaining a healthy weight is important because obesity is the cause of 13 different types of cancer,” the charity points out.

According to Cancer Research UK, “because our diet consists of many different types of foods and beverages”, it is very difficult to draw conclusions.

"But there is ample evidence that an overall healthy diet can reduce the risk of bowel cancer."

According to the charity, some foods are directly related to cancer, but our overall diet is more important than these alone.

It recommends the following ingredients in the diet:

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