scholarly journals Declining Rate of Folate Insufficiency Among Adults Following Increased Folic Acid Food Fortification in Canada

2002 ◽  
Vol 93 (4) ◽  
pp. 249-253 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. G. Ray ◽  
M. J. Vermeulen ◽  
S. C. Boss ◽  
D. E. C. Cole
Keyword(s):  
Folic Acid ◽  
Food Fortification

Efficacy of Adding Folic Acid to Foods

2012 ◽  
Vol 82 (3) ◽  
pp. 177-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Violeta Fajardo ◽  
Gregorio Varela-Moreiras
Keyword(s):  
Folic Acid ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Nutritional Deficiencies ◽  
Physiological Status ◽  
Food Fortification ◽  
Limited Information ◽  
Dietary Recommendations ◽  
Nutritional Education ◽  
Food Composition Tables ◽  
Staple Foods

In the past, food fortification along with nutritional education and the decrease in food costs relative to income have proven successful in eliminating common nutritional deficiencies. These deficiencies such as goiter, rickets, beriberi, and pellagra have been replaced with an entirely new set of “emergent deficiencies” that were not previously considered a problem [e.g., folate and neural tube defects (NTDs)]. In addition, the different nutrition surveys in so-called affluent countries have identified “shortfalls” of nutrients specific to various age groups and/or physiological status. Complex, multiple-etiology diseases, such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, cancer, and obesity have emerged. Food fortification has proven an effective tool for tackling nutritional deficiencies in populations; but today a more reasonable approach is to use food fortification as a means to support but not replace dietary improvement strategies (i. e. nutritional education campaigns). Folic acid (FA) is a potential relevant factor in the prevention of a number of pathologies. The evidence linking FA to NTD prevention led to the introduction of public health strategies to increase folate intakes: pharmacological supplementation, mandatory or voluntary fortification of staple foods with FA, and the advice to increase the intake of folate-rich foods. It is quite contradictory to observe that, regardless of these findings, there is only limited information on food folate and FA content. Data in Food Composition Tables and Databases are scarce or incomplete. Fortification of staple foods with FA has added difficulty to this task. Globally, the decision to fortify products is left up to individual food manufacturers. Voluntary fortification is a common practice in many countries. Therefore, the “worldwide map of vitamin fortification” may be analyzed. It is important to examine if fortification today really answers to vitamin requirements at different ages and/or physiological states. The real impact of vitamin fortification on some key biomarkers is also discussed. An important question also to be addressed: how much is too much? It is becoming more evident that chronic excessive intakes may be harmful and a wide margin of safety seems to be a mandatory practice in dietary recommendations. Finally, the “risk/benefit” dilemma is also considered in the “new” FA-fortified world.

scholarly journals Folic acid food fortification prevents inadequate folate intake among preschoolers from Ontario

2009 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 1548-1555 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen Hennessy-Priest ◽  
Jill Mustard ◽  
Heather Keller ◽  
Lee Rysdale ◽  
Joanne Beyers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Folic Acid ◽  
Public Health Intervention ◽  
Folate Intake ◽  
Food Fortification ◽  
Folic Acid Intake ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Dietary Folate ◽  
Supplement Use ◽  
Acid Intake ◽  
Fortified Food

AbstractObjectiveFolic acid food fortification has successfully reduced neural tube defect-affected pregnancies across Canada. The effect of this uncontrolled public health intervention on folate intake among Canadian children is, however, unknown. Our objectives were to determine folic acid intake from food fortification and whether fortification promoted adequate folate intakes, and to describe folic acid-fortified food usage among Ontario preschoolers.DesignCross-sectional data were used from the NutriSTEP™ validation project with preschoolers recruited using convenience sampling. Mean daily total folate and folic acid intakes were estimated from 3 d food records, which included multivitamin supplement use. Comparisons were made to Dietary Reference Intakes, accounting for and excluding fortificant folic acid, to determine the prevalence of inadequate and excessive intakes.SettingCanada.SubjectsTwo hundred and fifty-four preschoolers (aged 3–5 years).ResultsAll participants (130 girls, 124 boys) ate folic acid-fortified foods and 30 % (n76) used folic acid-containing supplements. Mean (se) fortificant folic acid intake was 83 (2) μg/d, which contributed 30 % and 50 % to total folate intake for supplement users and non-users, respectively. The prevalence of total folate intakes below the Estimated Average Requirement was <1 %; however, excluding fortificant folic acid, the prevalence was 32 %, 54 % and 47 % for 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds, respectively. The overall prevalence of folic acid (fortificant and supplemental) intakes above the Tolerable Upper Intake Level was 2 % (7 % among supplement users).ConclusionsFolic acid food fortification promotes dietary folate adequacy and did not appear to result in excessive folic acid intake unless folic acid-containing supplements were consumed.

scholarly journals National Food-Fortification Program with Folic Acid in Chile

2008 ◽  
Vol 29 (2_suppl1) ◽  
pp. S231-S237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Hertrampf ◽  
Fanny Cortés
Keyword(s):  
Folic Acid ◽  
Food Fortification

scholarly journals Food fortification: good to have or need to have?

2004 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 771-777
Author(s):  
A. Verster
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Folic Acid ◽  
Food Fortification ◽  
Micronutrient Deficiencies ◽  
Vicious Cycle ◽  
Child Bearing ◽  
Large Populations ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Iron And Folic Acid ◽  
Staple Foods

Only very small quantities of vitamins and minerals are needed for human health but deficiencies can have disproportionately large, often life-threatening, effects. Micronutrient deficiencies lead to a vicious cycle of malnutrition and infection in poorly nourished populations. Fortification of staple foods is the cheapest, most efficient and most effective way to supply large populations with essential micronutrients. This paper reviews the case for fortification of flour supplies with iron and folic acid and concludes that it is the best way to provide daily doses of these nutrients to populations in developing countries, especially for women of child-bearing age

scholarly journals Role of Folate and Folic Acid During Pregnancy

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 1488-1492
Author(s):  
Saniya Sahar
Keyword(s):  
Folic Acid ◽  
Neural Tube ◽  
Maternal Nutrition ◽  
Tissue Growth ◽  
Food Fortification ◽  
Nucleotide Synthesis ◽  
Folic Acid Fortification ◽  
C1 Metabolism ◽  
Pteroylglutamic Acid

Abstract: Pregnancy represents a period of fast tissue growth of maternal and foetal tissues that's related to enhanced energy and nutrient needs. Maternal nutrition throughout gestation period, has being essential for best offspring development, reducing long unwellness burden and for general health throughout life. Maternal Folate throughout pregnancy might have numerous roles in offspring health, as well as neurodevelopment and psychological feature performance in childhood. Folate is crucial for C1 metabolism, a network of pathways concerned in many biological processes as well as nucleotide synthesis, deoxyribonucleic acid repair and methylation reactions. The periconceptional use of pteroylglutamic acid (Folic Acid ) containing supplements reduces the primary incidence, as well as recurrence of neural tube defects. Folic Acid (FA) are artificial form of a necessary vitamin generically considered Folates or B9. It is concerned in one-carbon metabolism, and it's been connected to lowering neural tube Defect (NTD). National programs to mandate fortification of food with Folic Acid have reduced the prevalence of NTDs worldwide . The indisputable protecting role of Folic Acid in the hindrance of NTD, in addition to the low compliance of women to Folic Acid recommendations, has aroused the choice of mandatory Folic Acid fortification, a policy currently in place in over eighty countries worldwide. Mandatory food fortification needs food makers to feature Folic Acid to certain foods (e.g. starch or grain products), whereas voluntary fortification permits Folic Acid to be added to foods at the discretion of manufacturers. Food fortification with Folic Acid because the intervention is likely to achieve increasing Folic Acid intake among populations throughout the world. The objective of this article is to discuss the Role of Folic Acid and Folate during pregnancy and to review the role of Folate and Folic Acid , metabolism , absorption and Folic Acid effects on maternal on the basis of recent findings that are important for implementation of fortified food to design future studies. Keywords: Neurodevelopment, Methylation Reactions, Pteroylglutamic Acid, Bioavailability, Monoglutamates.

scholarly journals Folic Acid Food Fortification—Its History, Effect, Concerns, and Future Directions

Nutrients ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 370-384 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krista S. Crider ◽  
Lynn B. Bailey ◽  
Robert J. Berry
Keyword(s):  
Folic Acid ◽  
Food Fortification ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
History Effect
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