Title
Research goals for folate and related B vitamin in Europe
Author
Finglas, P.M.
de Meer, K.
Molloy, A.
Verhoef, P.
Pietrzik, K.
Powers, H.J.
van der Straeten, D.
Jägerstad, M.
Varela-Moreiras, G.
van Vliet, T.
Havenaar, R.
Buttriss, J.
Wright, A.J.A.
TNO Kwaliteit van Leven
Publication year
2006
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. © 2006 Nature Publishing Group All rights reserved.
Subject
Nutrition
Biomedical Research
Cancer
Folate
Food
Fortification
Homocysteine
Neural tube defect
cyanocobalamin
folic acid
vitamin B group
article
bioavailability
cancer prevention
cardiovascular disease
cardiovascular risk
clinical trial
colorectal cancer
cost benefit analysis
cyanocobalamin deficiency
diabetes mellitus
diet supplementation
dietary intake
disease association
elderly care
enzyme polymorphism
feasibility study
food analysis
food biotechnology
food composition
gene interaction
health hazard
high risk population
human
hyperhomocysteinemia
hyperlipidemia
hypertension
in vivo study
malabsorption
morbidity
neural tube defect
nutritional status
nutritional value
osteoporosis
patient compliance
pregnancy
prevalence
quantitative analysis
risk assessment
risk factor
risk reduction
smoking
stomach pH
uterine cervix cancer
vitamin metabolism
vitamin supplementation
Biological Availability
Folic Acid
Food Technology
Food, Fortified
Humans
Hyperhomocysteinemia
Intestinal Absorption
Neural Tube Defects
Vitamin B 12
Vitamin B Complex
To reference this document use:
http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:417c9461-a104-4807-ae49-3bf08a91fccd
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602315
TNO identifier
239120
ISSN
0954-3007
Source
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 60 (2), 287-294
Document type
article