15 June 2011
According to a new US study, folic acid intake from dietary supplements or fortified grain products is unlikely to exacerbate problems associated with low vitamin B12 levels.
In the observational study, blood samples and food consumption of 2,507 university students were analyzed (1). The study results showed that about 5% of the students suffered from vitamin B12 deficiency, which was defined as vitamin B12 concentrations less than 148 picomoles per liter. No difference in anemia rates or blood abnormalities was observed between students with vitamin B12 deficiency and those with high or low folate levels.
The researchers concluded that in this young adult population, high folate concentrations did not exacerbate the biochemical abnormalities related to vitamin B12 deficiency. The results provide reassuring evidence that consuming a greater amount of folic acid via fortified foods and supplements does not interfere with vitamin B12 metabolism at the cellular level in a healthy population.
An overwhelming body of evidence links folate deficiency in early pregnancy to increased risk of neural tube defects (NTDs) in infants. In 1998, the US and Canada introduced flour fortification with folic acid (the synthetic form of folate) on a national scale. Preliminary evidence indicates that the measure is having an effect with a reported 15–50% reduction in incidence of NTD. A total of 51 countries now have some degree of mandatory fortification of flour with folic acid.
Despite the success in reducing the incidence of NTDs, some researchers have raised concerns that folic acid levels in fortified grains may be too high for some people. Some studies have suggested higher rates of anemia and other blood abnormalities in people with low B12 levels who also had high folate levels. Many of these studies, however, were conducted with older people, a group more likely to have difficulty absorbing vitamin B12.
11 February 2015
A study from Australia has concluded that there is growing evidence showing vital relationships between both micronutrient-rich diets as well as nutritional deficiencies and mental health.
11 November 2013
A new US study reports that older women with invasive breast cancer who take multivitamin/mineral supplements long-term may be less likely to die from their cancers.
30 March 2016
The National Diet and Nutrition Surveys (NDNS) are a series of government-funded surveys of food intake, nutrient intake and nutritional status of the British population (adults aged 16 to 64), undertaken to support nutritional policy and risk assessment. In 2008, the UK Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) reviewed the latest NDNS, carried out between July 2000 and June 2001, to identify specific health outcomes where the population fails to meet dietary recommendations and specific groups are at risk. In addition, the SACN provided practical proposals for improvement where sections of the population had been shown to consume a poor diet.
