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December 6, 1995, Vol 274, No. 21 >
ARTICLE | December 6, 1995

Urgent Need to Increase Folic Acid Consumption FREE

Godfrey P. Oakley, Jr, MD, MSPM; J. David Erickson, DDS, PhD; Myron J. Adams, Jr, MD
[+] Author Affiliations

Reprint requests to Division of Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Hwy, Bldg 101, F34, Atlanta, GA 30341-3724 (Dr Oakley).


JAMA. 1995;274(21):1717-1718. doi:10.1001/jama.1995.03530210071034
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References

Many Americans do not consume enough of folic acid, a B vitamin. In the last 5 years, it has been shown that increasing folate consumption with folic acid supplements will prevent some birth defects and may reduce the risk of occlusive vascular disease.1-3 Consumption of supplemental folic acid in addition to folates contained in the usual diet can prevent half to three quarters of cases of spina bifida and anencephaly (SBA), two of the most common and severe birth defects. Furthermore, for many people increased consumption of folic acid substantially lowers the plasma concentration of homocysteine, an emerging risk factor for occlusive cardiovascular disease.

See also p 1698.

Folates are a class of compounds with the vitamin properties of folic acid (pteroylmonoglutamic acid). Folic acid is a folate that is used in vitamin supplements, and a number of other folate compounds occur naturally in foods, such as green vegetables.

REFERENCES

1 +
MRC Vitamin Study Research Group.  Prevention of neural tube defects: results of the Medical Research Council Vitamin Study. Lancet . 1991;;338:131-137.
2 +
Czeizel AE, Dudas I.  Prevention of the first occurrence of neural-tube defects by periconceptional vitamin supplementation. N Engl J Med . 1992;;327:1832-1835.
3 +
Boushey CJ, Beresford SAA, Omenn GS, Motulsky AG.  A quantitative assessment of plasma homocysteine as a risk factor for vascular disease. JAMA . 1995;;274: 1049-1057.
4 +
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  Recommendations for the use of folic acid to reduce the number of cases of spina bifida and other neural tube defects. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep . 1992;;41(No. (RR-14) ):1-7.
5 +
Daly LE, Kirke PN, Molloy A, Weir DG, Scott JM.  Folate levels and neural tube defects: implications for prevention. JAMA . 1995;;274:1698-1702.
6 +
Wald NJ, Bower C.  Folic acid and the prevention of neural tube defects. BMJ . 1995;;310:1019-1020.
7 +
US Dept of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration.  Food standards: amendment of the standards of identity for enriched grain products to require addition of folic acid. Federal Register . 1993;;58:53306-53312.
8 +
Crane NT, Wilson DB, Cook A, Lewis CJ, Yetley EA, Rader JI.  Evaluating food fortification options: general principles revisited with folic acid. Am J Public Health . 1995;;85:660-666.
9 +
Dickinson CJ.  Does folic acid harm people with vitamin B12 deficiency? Q J Med . 1995;;88:357-364.
10 +
Jacob RA, Wu MM, Henning SM, Swendseid ME.  Homocysteine increases as folate decreases in plasma of healthy men during short-term dietary folate and methyl group restriction. J Nutr . 1994;;124:1072-1080.
11 +
Selhub J, Jacques PF, Wilson PWF, Rush D, Rosenberg IH.  Vitamin status and intake as primary determinants of homocysteinemia in an elderly population. JAMA . 1993;;270:2693-2698.
12 +
Lindenbaum J, Rosenberg IH, Wilson PWF, Stabier SP, Allen RH.  Prevalence of cobalamin deficiency in the Framingham elderly population. Am J Clin Nutr . 1994;;60:2-11.
13 +
O'Keefe CA, Bailey LB, Thomas EA, et al.  Controlled dietary folate affects folate status in nonpregnant women. J Nutr . 1995;;125:2717-2725.
14 +
Alaimo K, McDowell MA, Briefel RR, et al. Dietary intake of vitamins, minerals, and fiber of persons ages 2 months and over in the United States: third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, phase 1,1988-91. Advance data from Vital and Health Statistics; No. 258. Hyattsville, Md: National Center for Health Statistics; 1994.
15 +
Beresford SAA.  How do we get enough folic acid to prevent some neural tube defects? Am J Public Health . 1994;;84:348-350.

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Country-Specific Mortality and Growth Failure in Infancy and Yound Children and Association With Material Stature

Use interactive graphics and maps to view and sort country-specific infant and early dhildhood mortality and growth failure data and their association with maternal

1 +
MRC Vitamin Study Research Group.  Prevention of neural tube defects: results of the Medical Research Council Vitamin Study. Lancet . 1991;;338:131-137.
2 +
Czeizel AE, Dudas I.  Prevention of the first occurrence of neural-tube defects by periconceptional vitamin supplementation. N Engl J Med . 1992;;327:1832-1835.
3 +
Boushey CJ, Beresford SAA, Omenn GS, Motulsky AG.  A quantitative assessment of plasma homocysteine as a risk factor for vascular disease. JAMA . 1995;;274: 1049-1057.
4 +
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  Recommendations for the use of folic acid to reduce the number of cases of spina bifida and other neural tube defects. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep . 1992;;41(No. (RR-14) ):1-7.
5 +
Daly LE, Kirke PN, Molloy A, Weir DG, Scott JM.  Folate levels and neural tube defects: implications for prevention. JAMA . 1995;;274:1698-1702.
6 +
Wald NJ, Bower C.  Folic acid and the prevention of neural tube defects. BMJ . 1995;;310:1019-1020.
7 +
US Dept of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration.  Food standards: amendment of the standards of identity for enriched grain products to require addition of folic acid. Federal Register . 1993;;58:53306-53312.
8 +
Crane NT, Wilson DB, Cook A, Lewis CJ, Yetley EA, Rader JI.  Evaluating food fortification options: general principles revisited with folic acid. Am J Public Health . 1995;;85:660-666.
9 +
Dickinson CJ.  Does folic acid harm people with vitamin B12 deficiency? Q J Med . 1995;;88:357-364.
10 +
Jacob RA, Wu MM, Henning SM, Swendseid ME.  Homocysteine increases as folate decreases in plasma of healthy men during short-term dietary folate and methyl group restriction. J Nutr . 1994;;124:1072-1080.
11 +
Selhub J, Jacques PF, Wilson PWF, Rush D, Rosenberg IH.  Vitamin status and intake as primary determinants of homocysteinemia in an elderly population. JAMA . 1993;;270:2693-2698.
12 +
Lindenbaum J, Rosenberg IH, Wilson PWF, Stabier SP, Allen RH.  Prevalence of cobalamin deficiency in the Framingham elderly population. Am J Clin Nutr . 1994;;60:2-11.
13 +
O'Keefe CA, Bailey LB, Thomas EA, et al.  Controlled dietary folate affects folate status in nonpregnant women. J Nutr . 1995;;125:2717-2725.
14 +
Alaimo K, McDowell MA, Briefel RR, et al. Dietary intake of vitamins, minerals, and fiber of persons ages 2 months and over in the United States: third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, phase 1,1988-91. Advance data from Vital and Health Statistics; No. 258. Hyattsville, Md: National Center for Health Statistics; 1994.
15 +
Beresford SAA.  How do we get enough folic acid to prevent some neural tube defects? Am J Public Health . 1994;;84:348-350.

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