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Research goals for folate and related B vitamin in Europe

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 60, pages 287–294 (2006)Cite this article

Abstract

In the past decade, the understanding of folate bioavailability, metabolism and related health issues has increased, but several problems remain, including the difficulty of delivering the available knowledge to the populations at risk. Owing to the low compliance of taking folic acid supplements, for example, among women of child-bearing age who could lower the risk of having a baby with a neural tube defect, food-based strategies aimed at increasing the intake of folate and other B-group vitamins should be a priority for future research. These should include the development of a combined strategy of supplemental folate (possibly with vitamin B12), biofortification using engineered plant-derived foods and micro-organisms and food fortification for increasing folate intakes in the general population. Currently, the most effective population-based strategy to reduce NTDs remains folic acid fortification. However, the possible adverse effect of high intakes of folic acid on neurologic functioning among elderly persons with vitamin B12 deficiency needs urgent investigation. The results of ongoing randomized controlled studies aimed at reducing the prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia and related morbidity must be available before food-based total population approaches for treatment of hyperhomocysteinemia can be recommended. Further research is required on quantitative assessment of folate intake and bioavailability, along with a more thorough understanding of physiological, biochemical and genetic processes involved in folate absorption and metabolism.

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Acknowledgements

The EuroFoodFolate conference and the preparation of this paper were partly supported from a grant from the Quality of Life and Management of Living Resources Programme, Key Action 1 on Food, Nutrition and Health (QLK1-CT-2002-30475).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Food Research, Norwich Research Park, Colney, Norwich, UK

    P M Finglas & A J A Wright

  2. Department of Clinical Chemistry, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    K de Meer

  3. Department of Biochemistry, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

    A Molloy

  4. Wageningen Centre for Food Sciences & Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    P Verhoef

  5. Institute of Nutritional Sciences, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany

    K Pietrzik

  6. Division of Clinical Sciences, Centre for Human Nutrition, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

    H J Powers

  7. Department of Molecular Genetics, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium

    D van der Straeten

  8. Department of Food Science, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden

    M Jägerstad

  9. Departamento de Nutrición y Bromatología, Universidad San Pablo-CEU, Madrid, Spain

    G Varela-Moreiras

  10. TNO Nutrition and Food Research, Zeist, The Netherlands

    T van Vliet & R Havenaar

  11. British Nutrition Foundation, London, UK

    J Buttriss

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Correspondence to P M Finglas.

Additional information

Guarantor: PM Finglas.

Contributors: KDM and PF prepared the original draft and edited the various contributions and remarks from the other authors; AM prepared the section on neural tube defects; PV and KP prepared the section on hyperhomocysteinemia; HP and GVM prepared the section on cancer; KDM and AM prepared the section on vitamin B12; AW, MJ, TVV, RH and JB prepared the section on bioavailability and potential strategies to increase dietary folate intakes; and DVS and MJ prepared the section on biotechnology.

This work is dedicated to Professor Clive West (deceased August 27, 2004; Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University, The Netherlands), who was an outstanding researcher in the field of vitamin bioavailability and status, and contributed to the Conference.

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Finglas, P., de Meer, K., Molloy, A. et al. Research goals for folate and related B vitamin in Europe. Eur J Clin Nutr 60, 287–294 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602315

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