The new member has been named ‘folic acid’ because of its abundance in leaves. Taking folic acid helps prevent neural tube defects such as spina bifida, caused when the tube doesn’t close. Mandatory folic acid fortification is estimated to provide savings of more than $600 million in direct costs annually. Additionally, folic acid might reduce heart disease, stroke and some types of cancers, and it is good for any cells that rapidly divide, which is why it benefits fingernails, skin and hair. “I consider [Snell] to be one of the top biochemists in the world from the 1940s on,” said the distinguished UT professor Lester Reed upon Snell’s death.