For patients with coronary artery disease, supplementing with B vitamins and folic acid does not reduce the risk associated with it, a new study has found.

The new study, reported in the Aug. 20 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, analyzed almost 3,100 volunteers. Three-quarters of them took various doses of vitamin B and folic acid (which is chemically a B vitamin), while the others got a placebo, an inactive substance

Low levels of the nutrient folate in the diet of healthy men has been linked to higher rates of chromosomal abnormalities in their sperm. Folate, also protective against birth defects, is found in leafy green vegetables, fruit and legumes.

The study, by the University of California, Berkeley, is featured in the journal Human Reproduction. Women of childbearing age are encouraged to maintain adequate levels of folate in their diet to have healthy eggs

Scientists said today that men who eat a diet-rich green leafy vegetables, fruits and beans, lentils and chickpeas have a higher chance of fathering a healthy child.

In a study that investigates the effects of diet on the quality of sperm, American scientists found that high levels of vitamin B decreases the number of abnormalities that lead to children being born with defects such as Down's syndrome

According to a new study people who eat rice have more nutritious diets that are higher in 12 essential vitamins and minerals, including folic acid, potassium and vitamin C and lower in saturated fat and added sugar, than the diets of non-rice eaters. The study also shows that rice eaters have a lower risk of high blood pressure and of being overweight, and may have a reduced risk of heart disease, type II diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

"We saw a trend toward healthier eating and more favorable risk factors for disease, such as lower blood pressure and waist circumference for all age groups, with the most significant findings among adults aged 19-50," said study contributor Julie Upton, MS, RD, who presented the data at the American Dietetic Association Food and Nutrition Conference & Expo 2007 (FNCE) meeting. "This is good news for Americans looking to make a change in their diet because it suggests that adding rice to the diet may promote healthier food choices

A recent study suggests that pregnant women should be given multi-vitamins to help boost the health and weight of their unborn babies. Low birth weight is associated with serious health consequences for an infant including infant mortality and poor growth and cognitive development.

Researchers found that higher levels of folate (found in some vegetables, fruits and cereals, and also known as vitamin B9, or folic acid) were linked with increased birth weights