Folate bioavailability: implications for establishing dietary recommendations and optimizing status

Are the Recommended Dietary Allowances for Vitamins Appropriate for Elderly People?

Bioavailability of food folates is 80% of that of folic acid

Determination of nutrient adequacy of the food catered in the child care homes (CCHs) of Sunsari district

Neural tube defects and folic acid in Japan: Prologue introduction ‐ Understanding of the current status of Japan and the proposal from Japanese Teratology Society

The RDA or U.S. RDA?

Folic acid plays an important role in the prevention of neural tube defects such as spina bifida and anencephaly, heart defects, facial clefts, urinary abnormalities and limb deficiencies. Milk and milk products serve as a potential source for folic acid fortification due to the presence of folate binding proteins which seem to be involved in the folate bioavailability. Though milk is a not a good source of folic acid, fortification could help in the prevention of the above mentioned defects. The objective of this study was to examine the physico-chemical characteristics of reduced fat milks fortified with folic acid. Reduced fat milks were prepared using 25, 50, 75 and 100% of the recommended dietary allowance of 400 micrograms of folic acid. Treatments included addition of folic acid at these levels before and after pasteurization. Color, pH, fat, protein, viscosity, folic acid concentration, folate binding protein concentration, folate binding protein profile, standard plate count and coliform counts were determined on days 1, 7, 14 and 21. A consumer acceptance test was conducted on day 7. Data from the consumer panel was analyzed using analysis of variance (PROC GLM) with means separation to determine the differences among treatments. Data obtained from the color, pH, fat, protein, viscosity, folic acid concentration, folate binding protein concentration, standard plate count and coliform counts were analyzed using the General Linear Model with a repeated measure in time by the Statistical Analysis System. Significant differences were determined at P<0.05 using Tukey’s Studentized Range Test. There were no differences in the electrophoretic mobility of folate binding protein in the samples. The concentration of folic acid was significantly higher in reduced fat milks fortified with folic acid after pasteurization compared to the treatments to which folic acid was added before pasteurization. The consumer panelists did not find any significant differences in flavor, appearance and texture of folic acid fortified reduced fat milks compared to that of the control. Fortification of reduced fat milks with folic acid can be accomplished with out adversely affecting the product characteristics.

Characteristics of Reduced Fat Milks As Influenced By the Incorporation of Folic Acid

Folate is an essential vitamin involved in one-carbon metabolism. It can be acquired from many food sources or in synthetic form. A wide range of processing methods have been studied to improve the bioaccessibility and bioavailability of folate in foods, yet this is often accompanied by a decrease in stability. Encapsulation technology has emerged as an effective solution for protecting folate from degradation and liberation while also improving its bioavailability. Folate deficiency is a prevalent phenomenon worldwide, particularly in underprivileged countries, leading to various health problems, such as neural tube defects. Thus, folate was fortified through both exogenous addition and biofortification. Gene editing technology, especially CRISPR-Cas9, has great promise in this field when compared to transgenic engineering, because transgenic engineering may pose safety concerns and environmental risks. While ongoing research has identified additional potential effects of folate, the dosage and duration remain important factors to consider for optimal health outcomes. The mechanisms of how folate promotes the production of neurotransmitters associated with the gut microbiota–brain axis and reduces depression are not well understood. In addition to folate alone, there may be synergistic effects of combined supplementation of folate and other nutrients or medications, but this is not yet fully clarified and requires further examination. This review summarizes the food sources, enrichment, bioaccessibility, and bioavailability of folate. Furthermore, the health benefits of folate, including neural tube protection, cardiovascular protection, neuroprotection, anti-cancer, immune response augmentation, and gut homeostasis maintenance, with their potential bioactivity mechanisms, are discussed.

Bioavailability of Folates in Selected Foods Incorporated into Amino Acid-Based Diets Fed to Rats

This report summarizes the findings of the 2011 Institute of Medicine Committee on dietary intake requirements for calcium and vitamin D in North America, and provides updated data from the previous Institute of Medicine report of 1997. The Committee extensively reviewed existing published evidence on dietary and supplemental intake requirements for calcium and vitamin D with respect to both skeletal health and extraskeletal chronic disease outcomes. Calcium and vitamin D intake requirements were examined for several risk indictors of bone and skeletal health as well as extraskeletal outcomes (including cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and autoimmune disorders, infectious diseases, neuropsychological function, and disorders of pregnancy). Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) was defined as the level of intake of calcium or serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D that would meet the requirements of at least 97.5% of the population. The available scientific data supported an important role for calcium and vitamin D in bone and skeletal health outcomes that was consistent with a cause-and-effect relationship. However, data from randomized clinical trials for extraskeletal health outcomes were limited and inconclusive regarding a possible relationship with calcium and vitamin D intake requirements, and no evidence was found for dose-response or other established criteria for cause-and-effect. For bone health outcome, RDAs of calcium ranged from 700 to 1300 mg/d for life-stage groups at ≥1 year of age, and RDAs of vitamin D were 600 IU/d for ages 1 to 70 years and 800 IU/d for ages ≥71 (corresponding to a serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level of at least 20 ng/mL [50 nmol/L]). There was an assumption of minimal or no sun exposure for estimation of RDA levels because of the wide variation in vitamin D synthesis from ultraviolet light and concern over risk of skin cancer. No consistent evidence was found that dietary or supplemental intake of vitamin D levels above the RDA provides additional benefit for bone health or extraskeletal outcomes; several investigators have found an U-shaped curve for several outcomes related to vitamin D intake, with increased risks at both low and high levels. The findings of this report suggest that prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in North America has been overestimated. The data show that almost all individuals in this population meet their RDA for vitamin D.

Chemical and Nutritional Aspects of Folate Research: Analytical Procedures, Methods of Folate Synthesis, Stability, and Bioavailability of Dietary Folates

Children’s Multivitamin/Mineral Supplements: Label Claims and Measured Content Compared to Recommended Dietary Allowances and Tolerable Upper Intake Levels

Nutrient Strength and Dissolution Test Results of Nationally Representative Prescription Prenatal Multivitamin/Mineral (RxP MVM) Supplements

Gender and Body Size Affect the Response of Erythrocyte Folate to Folic Acid Treatment 3

Nutritional status and dietary pattern of government school going adolescents of Lucknow city with reference to recommended dietary allowances- ICMR 2024, India