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Vitamins and plant ingredients

An overview of folate status in a population-based study from São Paulo, Brazil and the potential impact of 10 years of national folic acid fortification policy

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 71, pages 1173–1178 (2017)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background/Objectives:

Food fortification is an important strategy in public health policy for controlling micronutrient malnutrition and a major contributing factor in the eradication of micronutrients’ deficiencies. Approximately 50 countries worldwide have adopted food fortification with folic acid (FA). FA fortification of wheat and maize flours has been mandatory in Brazil since 2004. To assess the effect of 10 years of FA food fortification policy on folate status of residents of São Palo, Brazil using a population-based survey.

Subjects/Methods:

Data were from 750 individuals aged ⩾12 years who participated in a cross-sectional population-based survey in São Paulo city, Brazil. Fasting blood samples were collected, and folate was assayed by affinity-high performance liquid chromatografy method with electrochemical detection. The participants provided information about food intake based on two 24 h dietary recall.

Results:

Only 1.76% of population had folate deficiency (<6.8 nmol/l). The mean folate concentration was 29.5 (95% confidence interval: 27.3–31.7) nmol/l for all sex–age groups. The mean folate intake for the population was 375.8 (s.e.m.=6.4) μg/day of dietary folate equivalents (DFEs). When comparing folate intake in DFE from food folate and FA from fortified foods, FA contributed 50% or more of the DFE in almost all sex–age groups. The major contributors of folate intake are processed foods made from wheat flour fortified with FA, especially among subjects younger than 20 years old.

Conclusions:

The deficiency of folate is very low, and food fortification contributed to folate intake and had a notable influence on rankings of food contributors of folate.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the individuals who participated in the study and researchers of the Dietary Assessment Group (GAC—Grupo de Pesquisa de Avaliação do Consumo Alimentar).

Author contributions

JS, RMF and DMLM designed the research and interpreted the data; JS, DMLM, JSe, LP and CR conducted the research; JS and DMLM analyzed and wrote the paper, and had primary responsibility for the final content. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    J Steluti, R M Fisberg & D M L Marchioni

  2. Vitamin Metabolism Laboratory, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA

    J Selhub, L Paul & C Reginaldo

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  1. J Steluti
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Correspondence to J Steluti.

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Steluti, J., Selhub, J., Paul, L. et al. An overview of folate status in a population-based study from São Paulo, Brazil and the potential impact of 10 years of national folic acid fortification policy. Eur J Clin Nutr 71, 1173–1178 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2017.60

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