Fields of Application

Sufficient folate levels are critical throughout our entire life. Less than optimal folate intake has been implicated in the etiology of a variety of disorders including anaemia, neural tube defects (NTDs), various forms of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), Alzheimer’s disease and osteoporosis.

However, despite the importance of folates, the majority of the population has an insufficient folate intake. This is true even in countries with a mandatory food folate fortification with folic acid.

The elderly population in particular does not reach the recommended daily intake (RDI). Also women of childbearing age often have insufficient folate levels. In the U.S., red blood cell folate concentrations which best reflect folate body stores of over 75% of non-pregnant women in the U.S. aged between 15 and 44, are too low to safely prevent NTD's in their offspring.


Key Publications / References:

Dietary Reference Intake, Food and Nutrition Board, Inst. of Med. 2000.

Ernährungsbericht 2000 Deutschland.

CDC (2007):
Folate Status in Women of Childbearing Age.
MMWR 55(51);1377-1380.

L. Daly, P. Kirke, A. Molloy, D. Weir, J. Scott (1995):
Folate levels and neural tube defects. Implications for prevention.
JAMA., 274(21): 1698-702.