Bread cofortified with folic acid and vitamin B-12 improves the folate and vitamin B-12 status of healthy older people: a randomized controlled trial.
BACKGROUND: Mandatory fortification of flour with folic acid has reduced the number of neural tube defects in North America. Concerns that high intakes of folic acid might mask vitamin B-12 deficiency in older persons have delayed the introduction of fortification in many European countries. Coforti...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
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2008
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| _version_ | 1826292069908348928 |
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| author | Winkels, R Brouwer, I Clarke, R Katan, M Verhoef, P |
| author_facet | Winkels, R Brouwer, I Clarke, R Katan, M Verhoef, P |
| author_sort | Winkels, R |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | BACKGROUND: Mandatory fortification of flour with folic acid has reduced the number of neural tube defects in North America. Concerns that high intakes of folic acid might mask vitamin B-12 deficiency in older persons have delayed the introduction of fortification in many European countries. Cofortification of flour with folic acid and vitamin B-12 could simultaneously improve folate and vitamin B-12 status. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to estimate the effect of the consumption of bread fortified with modest amounts of folic acid and vitamin B-12 on folate and vitamin B-12 status in healthy older persons living in the Netherlands, where folic acid fortification is not taking place. DESIGN: Men and women aged 50-75 y were randomly assigned in this 12-wk double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to consume bread fortified with 138 mug folic acid and 9.6 mug vitamin B-12 daily (n = 72) or unfortified bread (n = 70). RESULTS: The consumption of fortified bread increased serum folate concentrations by 45% (mean: 6.3 nmol/L; 95% CI: 4.5, 8.1 nmol/L) and serum vitamin B-12 concentrations by 49% (mean: 102 pmol/L; 95% CI: 82, 122 pmol/L) relative to the placebo group. Fortified bread increased erythrocyte folate concentrations by 22% and holotranscobalamin concentrations by 35%; it decreased homocysteine concentrations by 13% and methylmalonic acid concentrations by 10%. Consumption of fortified bread decreased the proportion of individuals with marginal serum vitamin B-12 concentrations (<133 pmol/L) from 8% at enrollment to 0% after 12 wk. CONCLUSION: Bread fortified with modest amounts of folic acid and vitamin B-12 will improve folate and vitamin B-12 status and a considerable proportion of vitamin B-12 deficiency in older people. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00353353. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T03:09:02Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:b38a9672-5f75-466c-94ec-813f05da681c |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T03:09:02Z |
| publishDate | 2008 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:b38a9672-5f75-466c-94ec-813f05da681c2022-03-27T04:20:01ZBread cofortified with folic acid and vitamin B-12 improves the folate and vitamin B-12 status of healthy older people: a randomized controlled trial.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:b38a9672-5f75-466c-94ec-813f05da681cEnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2008Winkels, RBrouwer, IClarke, RKatan, MVerhoef, PBACKGROUND: Mandatory fortification of flour with folic acid has reduced the number of neural tube defects in North America. Concerns that high intakes of folic acid might mask vitamin B-12 deficiency in older persons have delayed the introduction of fortification in many European countries. Cofortification of flour with folic acid and vitamin B-12 could simultaneously improve folate and vitamin B-12 status. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to estimate the effect of the consumption of bread fortified with modest amounts of folic acid and vitamin B-12 on folate and vitamin B-12 status in healthy older persons living in the Netherlands, where folic acid fortification is not taking place. DESIGN: Men and women aged 50-75 y were randomly assigned in this 12-wk double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to consume bread fortified with 138 mug folic acid and 9.6 mug vitamin B-12 daily (n = 72) or unfortified bread (n = 70). RESULTS: The consumption of fortified bread increased serum folate concentrations by 45% (mean: 6.3 nmol/L; 95% CI: 4.5, 8.1 nmol/L) and serum vitamin B-12 concentrations by 49% (mean: 102 pmol/L; 95% CI: 82, 122 pmol/L) relative to the placebo group. Fortified bread increased erythrocyte folate concentrations by 22% and holotranscobalamin concentrations by 35%; it decreased homocysteine concentrations by 13% and methylmalonic acid concentrations by 10%. Consumption of fortified bread decreased the proportion of individuals with marginal serum vitamin B-12 concentrations (<133 pmol/L) from 8% at enrollment to 0% after 12 wk. CONCLUSION: Bread fortified with modest amounts of folic acid and vitamin B-12 will improve folate and vitamin B-12 status and a considerable proportion of vitamin B-12 deficiency in older people. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00353353. |
| spellingShingle | Winkels, R Brouwer, I Clarke, R Katan, M Verhoef, P Bread cofortified with folic acid and vitamin B-12 improves the folate and vitamin B-12 status of healthy older people: a randomized controlled trial. |
| title | Bread cofortified with folic acid and vitamin B-12 improves the folate and vitamin B-12 status of healthy older people: a randomized controlled trial. |
| title_full | Bread cofortified with folic acid and vitamin B-12 improves the folate and vitamin B-12 status of healthy older people: a randomized controlled trial. |
| title_fullStr | Bread cofortified with folic acid and vitamin B-12 improves the folate and vitamin B-12 status of healthy older people: a randomized controlled trial. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Bread cofortified with folic acid and vitamin B-12 improves the folate and vitamin B-12 status of healthy older people: a randomized controlled trial. |
| title_short | Bread cofortified with folic acid and vitamin B-12 improves the folate and vitamin B-12 status of healthy older people: a randomized controlled trial. |
| title_sort | bread cofortified with folic acid and vitamin b 12 improves the folate and vitamin b 12 status of healthy older people a randomized controlled trial |
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