Validation of a food frequency questionnaire to assess folate intake of Dutch elderly people

Research goals for folate and related B vitamin in Europe

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...

A high-protein diet increases postprandial but not fasting plasma total homocysteine concentrations: A dietary controlled, crossover trial in healthy volunteers

Background: A high plasma concentration of total homocysteine (tHcy) is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. A high protein intake and hence a high intake of methionine-the sole dietary precursor of homocysteine-may raise plasma tHcy concentrations. Objectives: We studied whether high intake of protein increases plasma...

Choline supplemented as phosphatidylcholine decreases fasting and postmethionine-loading plasma homocysteine concentrations in healthy men

Background: A high homocysteine concentration is a potential risk factor for cardiovascular disease that can be reduced through betaine supplementation. Choline is the precursor for betaine, but the effects of choline supplementation on plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) concentrations in healthy humans are unknown. Objective: The objective was to...

Effect of homocysteine-lowering nutrients on blood lipids: Results from four randomised, placebo-controlled studies in healthy humans

Background: Betaine (trimethylglycine) lowers plasma homocysteine, a possible risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, studies in renal patients and in obese individuals who are on a weight-loss diet suggest that betaine supplementation raises blood cholesterol; data in healthy individuals are lacking. Such an effect on cholesterol would...

The 4G-allele of the PAI-1 gene is not consistently associated with a higher prevalence of coronary stenosis

Effects of coffee consumption on fasting blood glucose and insulin concentrations: Randomized controlled trials in healthy volunteers

Dietary serine and cystine attenuate the homocysteine-raising effect of dietary methionine: A randomized crossover trial in humans

Background: A high plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) concentration is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The increase in tHcy induced by methionine, the sole dietary precursor of homocysteine, might be modulated by other amino acids present in dietary proteins. Objectives: Our objectives were to compare the postprandial effect of free and...

Low Dose Betaine Supplementation Leads to Immediate and Long Term Lowering of Plasma Homocysteine in Healthy Men and Women

High plasma homocysteine is a risk for cardiovascular disease and can be lowered through supplementation with 6 g/d of betaine. However, dietary intake of betaine is ∼0.5-2 g/d. Therefore, we investigated whether betaine supplementation in the range of dietary intake lowers plasma homocysteine concentrations in healthy adults. Four groups of 19...

Betaine supplementation lowers plasma homocysteine in healthy men and women

Elevated levels of plasma total homocysteine are associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. Betaine and 5-methyltetrahydrofolate can remethylate homocysteine into methionine via independent reactions. We determined the effect of daily betaine supplementation, compared with both folic acid and placebo, on plasma concentrations of...

Influence of processing on total, monoglutamate and polyglutamate folate contents of leeks, cauliflower and green beans

Contribution of caffeine to the homocysteine-raising effect of coffee: A randomized controlled trial in humans

Background: A high plasma total homocysteine concentration is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Consumption of unfiltered or filtered coffee raises total homocysteine concentrations in healthy volunteers. The responsible compound, however, is unknown. Objective: The objective was to determine whether caffeine explains the...

Dietary fiber, beta-carotene and breast cancer: Results from a case-control study

To study the association between dietary fiber, beta-carotene and breast cancer, the average daily intake of these dietary components was compared among 133 incident breast cancer cases and 238 population controls. Average daily intake of cereal products, fruit and vegetables was also studied. A statistically significant lower energy-adjusted...