National Council on Folic Acid

Promoting the benefits and consumption of folic acid

National Council on Folic Acid News

The following articles are from a variety of publications which have research studies published during 2011 which address folic acid.

Dec 19, 2011

Contributions of enriched cereal-grain products, ready-to-eat cereals, and supplements to folic acid and vitamin B-12 usual intake and folate and vitamin B-12 status in US children:  National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2003-2006

This study involved four groups of children from ages 1 to 18 from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2003-2006. The authors based the premise on the background that US children consume folic acid from a variety of sources which may contribute differently above the age-specific tolerable upper intake level for folic acid and to folate and vitamin B-12 status. Data suggest that the majority of US children consume more than one source of folic acid and blood folate concentrations in children increased with the consumption of more sources of folic acid.

 

Authors:  Yeung, L. F., Cogswell, M.E., Carriquiry, A.L. et al.

Source:  American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2011; 93:175-85.

 

Folic acid supplementation before and during pregnancy in the Newborn Epigenetics Study (NEST)

This study was conducted to examine pregnant women’s levels of folic acid through foods fortified with folic acid and taking supplements. The primary objective was to estimate the proportion of women taking folic acid (FA) doses exceeding the Tolerable Upper Limit (TUL) of 1,000 micrograms before and during pregnancy, and to identify correlates of high FA use. Conclusions revealed that 51% of women reported some FA intake before and 66% during pregnancy, respectively, and more than one in ten women took FA supplements in doses that exceeded the TUL. It was noted that Caucasian women were more likely to report high folic acid intake.

 

Authors:  Hoyo, C, Murtha, A P., Schildkraut, J.M., Forman, M.R., et al.

Source:  BioMed Central 2011, 11:46, http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/11/46

 

A comparison of Folic Acid Pharmacokinetics in Obese and Nonobese Women of Childbearing Age

This premise for this Canadian study is built on the fact that maternal folate deficient during periconceptional period represents a major risk factor for neural tube defects. Further compounding this factor is that obesity has been identified as a risk factor for birth defects among women, of childbearing age, who are obese at the time of conception. Using a small sample of women, divided between obese and nonobese, this study compared single-dose pharmacokinetics of folic acid supplementation in each group. It is noted that “although the mean age of the obese group was statistically higher, previous work by that group did not identify any folic acid pharmacokinetic differences across age ranges”. Other dose findings are interesting.

  

Authors:  Stern, S.J., Matok, I., Kapur, B., and Koren, G.

Source:  Ther Drug Monit, Vol 33, No. 3, June 2011 pp. 336-340. Lippincott Williams and Wilkins

 

Fortification of Corn Masa Flour with Folic Acid in the United States

This commentary addresses the issue of potentially reducing the disparity among Hispanics for the occurrence of Neural Tube Defects (NTDs) through fortification of corn masa flour to increase the overall intake of folic acid in Hispanic women. The authors present the evidence that is available, potential safety issues, and lay out next steps of corn masa flour with folic acid in the United States.

 

Authors:  Fleischman, A.R. and Oinuma, M.

Source:  American Journal of Public Health, August 2011, Vol 101, No. 8 pp1360-1364. Doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2011.300135

 

Folic Acid Use in Pregnancy and the Development of Atopy, Asthma, and Lung Function in Childhood

This study prospectively investigated the relationship between maternal folic acid use during pregnancy and the development of atopic manifestations, using questionnaire information as well as measured intracellular folic acid levels in late pregnancy. Results indicated that maternal folic acid supplement use during pregnancy was not associated with outcomes in the offspring. The results do not confirm meaningful association between folic acid supplement use during pregnancy and atopic diseases in the offspring.

 

Authors:  Magdelijns, F.J.H., Mommers, M., Penders, J., Smits, L. and Thijs, C.

Source:  Pediatrics 2011; 128; e135; originally published online June 20, 2011; DOI:  10.1542/peds.2010-1690

 

Reduced Risks of Neural Tube Defects and Orofacial Clefts with Higher Diet Quality

This study was conducted for the National Birth Defects Prevention Study to examine whether maternal diet quality was associated with reduced risk for selected birth defects. Subjects were eligible women with estimated due dates from October 1997 through December 2005. Telephone interviews were conducted with both case and control mothers. Food-frequency data were utilized to calculate the Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS) and Diet Quality Index (DQI), modeled after existing indices. The conclusions revealed that healthier maternal dietary patterns were associated with reduced risks of NTDs and clefts.  It was noted that the results suggest that dietary approaches could lead to further reduction in the risks of major birth defects and complement existing efforts to fortify foods and encourage periconceptional multivitamin use.

 

Authors:  Carmichael, S.L., Yang, W., Feldkamp, M.L., Munger, R. G., Siega-Riz, A.M., Butto, L.D., and Shaw, G.

Source: Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine PUBLISHED ONLINE OCTOBER 3, 2011. DOI: 10.1001/ARCGOEDUATRUCS, 2011,185