Folate is a water soluble B-vitamin present naturally in foods such as wholemeal bread, legumes, green leafy vegetables (e.g. broccoli, lettuce and cabbage) and liver that is essential for biochemical and physiological processes in the body.
There is probable evidence that foods containing folate reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer and limited suggestive evidence that they reduce the risk of oesophageal and bowel cancer. Cohort studies suggest that a high dietary folate intake may reduce the risk of post-menopausal breast cancer, particularly for women with a family history of breast cancer.
There does not appear to be any significant association between folate intake and the risk of lung cancer, and limited evidence suggests there is no association between folate intake and ovarian, stomach and prostate cancer.