5: The Smartest Doctor in the Room with Dean Mitchell, MD & guest Professor Edward Quadros5: The Smartest Doctor in the Room with Dean Mitchell, MD & guest Professor Edward Quadros
UK Health Radio Podcast
Dr Dean Mitchell talks with Professor Edward Quadros about folate, B12 and their links to brain health and autism, including FRAT testing and folinic acid therapy. The conversation focuses on antibodies to folate receptors, prenatal nutrition and the limits of genetic explanations for autism.
49:23•7 Jul 2026
Folate, B12 and Autism: Professor Edward Quadros Shares a Different Story
Episode Overview
- Professor Quadros describes how folate receptor autoantibodies can exist even when standard folate levels look normal, potentially affecting brain development.
- The FRAT test detects folate receptor antibodies, and high rates of positivity are reported in children on the autism spectrum and in some parents.
- High-dose folinic acid (leucovorin) may restore brain folate via an alternative transport pathway and has been used in clinical studies with autistic children.
- Concerns around the MTHFR gene are described as exaggerated, with normal folate status and body temperature usually keeping the enzyme working adequately.
- Vegetarians are noted to be at higher risk of low B12, and even inexpensive cyanocobalamin supplements can be effective in correcting deficiency.
“"My objective here is to screen the parents and prevent autism in the offspring."”
What insights can experts and survivors share about addiction? Here, the focus shifts from alcohol and drugs to something just as life-changing: how vital nutrients like folate (vitamin B9) and B12 may shape brain development, autism risk, and long-term health. Dr Dean Mitchell sits down with Professor Edward Quadros from SUNY Downstate Medical School, a researcher who’s spent over 40 years studying folate and B12.
Their chat feels like a mix of medical detective story and practical guide, especially for parents and anyone curious about prevention rather than crisis management. You’ll hear how Professor Quadros was “the accidental tourist into the field”, pushed from tuberculosis research into vitamin metabolism, and how that twist ended up linking folate to autism.
He explains the folate receptor antibody (FRAT) test he helped create, and shares data suggesting that a high percentage of children with autism, and many parents, carry autoantibodies to the folate receptor. The episode breaks down why standard blood folate can look normal while the brain is actually short on folate, how folinic acid (leucovorin) can bypass blocked receptors, and why early treatment seems to help more.
There’s also a clear, no-drama discussion of the much-hyped MTHFR gene, with Quadros calling the concern “way too overblown”. Along the way, they cover diet, the role of milk in triggering antibodies in some children, and practical points on B12 supplements, especially for vegetarians. While autism isn’t framed as caused by alcohol or substance use, the conversation will appeal to anyone in recovery who cares about brain health, pregnancy planning, or supporting healthier futures for their families.
If you’re looking for science that may change how you think about genetics, nutrition and child development, this one could leave you with plenty to ponder. What might it mean if some risks can be spotted, and possibly softened, before a child is even born?
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