Folate: food vs. pills - natural sources of folic acid do not improve levels as much as enriched foods or dietary supplements - Brief Article

Nutrition Action Healthletter, May, 1996 by Bonnie Liebman

Folate (or folic acid) is no ordinary B-vitamin. It reduces the risk of neural tube birth defects and may cut the risk of heart disease and stroke.

So how can you make sure you're getting enough? You're better off with pills or fortified foods than with non-fortified folate-rich foods, says a new study from the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland.

Geraldine Cuskelly assigned 62 women to one of five groups. Three got 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid a day from a supplement, fortified foods or ordinary foods. Another group got advice on how to get 400 mcg from ordinary foods, and the last group got an inactive placebo supplement.

After three months, blood levels of folate increased significantly only in the women who got the folate supplement or the fortified foods. Even though the women who ate ordinary folate-rich foods like spinach and orange juice consumed much more folate than the placebo-takers, their folate levels rose only modestly, probably because naturally occurring folate isn't always well-absorbed. A larger study is needed to confirm her results, says Cuskelly.