Modeling Demonstrates That Folic Acid Fortification of Whole-Wheat Flour Could Reduce the Prevalence of Folate Inadequacy in Canadian Whole-Wheat Consumers

Biological, dietetic and pharmacological properties of vitamin B9

Humans must obtain vitamin B9 (folate) from plant-based diet. The sources as well as the effect of food processing are discussed in detail. Industrial production, fortification and biofortification, kinetics, and physiological role in humans are described. As folate deficiency leads to several pathological states, current opinions toward prevention through fortification are discussed. Claimed risks of increased folate intake are mentioned as well as analytical ways for measurement of folate.

Folate and synthetic folic acid content in Canadian fortified foods two decades after mandatory fortification

In 1998, Health Canada mandated folic acid fortification of white flour and enriched grain products to prevent neural tube defects. At the time, neither the Canadian Nutrient File (CNF) nor product labels reflected the actual folate content of foods. We aimed to assess if 20 years post-fortification, the CNF values for total folate and synthetic folic acid accurately reflect amounts determined by direct analysis. Using the 2001 Food Expenditure Survey and ACNielsen Company data, we identified 10-15 of the most purchased fortified foods across seven food categories in Canada. Total folate concentrations were determined by tri-enzyme digestion and microbial assay. Folic acid concentrations were determined using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Except for "cooked pastas", mean total folate content of foods (n = 89) were significantly higher than CNF values across categories (p < 0.05), reflecting 167% ± 54% of CNF values. Similarly, mean folic acid content of foods was higher than CNF values for all categories except "cooked pastas" (p < 0.05), with a mean of 188% ± 94% of CNF values; the latter CNF values included uncooked pasta. In sum, 20 years post-fortification, and 10 years since the last direct measurement, CNF and product label values still underestimate actual total folate and the folic acid content of foods. These findings emphasize that dietary estimates established using the CNF may significantly underestimate actual intakes and thus caution should be exercised when interpreting estimates of nutritional adequacy based on these values.

Children Aged 5-6 Years in Vancouver, Canada Meet Dietary Recommendations for Folate and Vitamin B12 but not Choline

BACKGROUND

Choline, folate, and vitamin B12 are required for growth and development, but there is limited information on the intakes and relationships to biomarkers of status in children.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to determine the choline and B-vitamin intakes and relationship to biomarkers of status in children.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted in children (n = 285, aged 5-6 y) recruited from Metro Vancouver, Canada. Dietary information was collected by using 3 24-h recalls. Nutrient intakes were estimated by using the Canadian Nutrient File and United States Department of Agriculture database for choline. Supplement information was collected by using questionnaires. Plasma biomarkers were quantified by using mass spectrometry and commercial immunoassays, and relationships to dietary and supplement intake were determined by using linear models.

RESULTS

Daily dietary intakes of choline, folate, and vitamin B12 were [mean (SD)] 249 (94.3) mg, 330 (120) DFE μg, and 3.60 (1.54) μg, respectively. Top food sources of choline and vitamin B12 were dairy, meats, and eggs (63%-84%) and for folate, were grains, fruits, and vegetables (67%). More than half of the children (60%) were consuming a supplement containing B-vitamins, but not choline. Only 40% of children met the choline adequate intake (AI) recommendation for North America (≥250 mg/d); 82% met the European AI (≥170 mg/d). Less than 3% of children had inadequate folate and vitamin B12 total intakes. Some children (5%) had total folic acid intakes above the North American tolerable upper intake level (UL; >400 μg/d); 10% had intakes above the European UL (>300 μg/d). Dietary choline intake was positively associated with plasma dimethylglycine, and total vitamin B12 intake was positively associated with plasma B12 (adjusted models; P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that many children are not meeting the dietary choline recommendations, and some children may have excessive folic acid intakes. The impact of imbalanced one-carbon nutrient intakes during this active period of growth and development requires further investigation.

Sensory and Physicochemical Properties and Stability of Folic Acid in a Pineapple Ready-to-Serve Beverage Fortified with Encapsulated Folic Acid

Fortification of food and beverages with folic acid is carried out frequently as a remedy to folic acid deficiency which causes serious health issues. This study was carried out to investigate the effect of incorporation of folic acid encapsulated alginate submicron particles in pineapple ready-to-serve (RTS) beverages. The encapsulation efficiency and loading capacity of the particles were 91.54 ± 0.45% and 1.02 ± 0.01%, respectively. The photostability and thermal stability studies of folic acid revealed that encapsulation poses a protective effect on folic acid and that dark and refrigerated conditions contribute to higher stability of folic acid. In this study, sensory evaluation of the RTS beverages was carried out through both ranking tests and acceptance tests using a five-point hedonic scale. The sensory panel showed the highest preference to pineapple RTS with incorporated encapsulated folic acid at a quantity of its recommended daily intake (400 µg/200 mL) before heat treatment. Shelf-life evaluations were carried out through measuring physicochemical properties, and pH, titratable acidity, and total soluble solids showed negligible or acceptable changes over two months. Folic acid degradation occurred due to heat treatment, but encapsulation in alginate submicron particles provided heat stability to folic acid. Thus, microencapsulated folic acid may be a successful carrier of folic acid which can be incorporated in beverages such as fortified pineapple RTS.

Prenatal Exposure to Environmentally-Relevant Contaminants Perturbs Male Reproductive Parameters Across Multiple Generations that are Partially Protected by Folic Acid Supplementation

The paternal environment is thought to influence sperm quality and future progeny may also be impacted. We hypothesized that prenatal exposure to environmentally-relevant contaminants impairs male reproduction, altering embryo gene expression over multiple generations. Folic acid (FA) can improve sperm quality and pregnancy outcomes, thus we further hypothesized that FA mitigates the contaminants. Sprague-Dawley F0 female rats treated with persistent organic pollutants (POPs) or corn oil and fed basal or supplemented FA diets, then used to yield four generations of litters. Only F0 females received POPs and/or FA treatments. In utero POPs exposure altered sperm parameters in F1, which were partly rescued by FA supplementation. Paternal exposure to POPs reduced sperm quality in F2 males, and the fertility of F3 males was modified by both POPs and FA. Ancestral FA supplementation improved sperm parameters of F4 males, while the POPs effect diminished. Intriguingly, F3 males had the poorest pregnancy outcomes and generated the embryos with the most significantly differentially expressed genes. Early-life exposure to POPs harms male reproduction across multiple generations. FA supplementation partly mitigated the impact of POPs. The two-cell embryo transcriptome is susceptible to paternal environment and could be the foundation for later pregnancy outcomes.