folic acid• Doctors can easily check blood levels of B-12 and folic acid, he says.• For several years, doctors have encouraged women who could have children to consumefolic acid.• At the time there was little understanding of the role of folic acid in the normal working of the body.• The claims that folic acid can end this scourge may be premature.• So the public-health community wants folic acid added to cereals used in enrichedgrainproducts, such as bread and pasta.